US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran continued for a second consecutive day following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Explosions were reported in Tehran, as Israel stated it was expanding its operations into the heart of the Iranian capital.
Iran also launched a retaliatory attack with missiles and drones on Israel, US military installations across West Asia and sites in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, including Dubai. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) says in a statement that they have attacked USS Abraham Lincoln with four ballistic missiles. The strike group also has three destroyers loaded with Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles.
Israeli emergency services have said that the death toll in an Iranian ballistic missile in Israel’s Beit Shemesh city has now risen to nine. While 27 people were injured, including two in serious condition.
The Defence Ministry of the UAE confirmed that three people were killed in Iranian attacks so far. Giving details, it said, Iran fired 165 ballistic missiles at the country, of which 152 were intercepted, while 13 fell into the sea. The Defence Ministry said, Tehran also launched 541 bomb-carrying drones, 506 of those were destroyed and 35 struck the UAE, killing three people from Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh and injuring 58 others.
Authorities in Abu Dhabi confirmed that a drone targeting Zayed International Airport was intercepted. Dubai International Airport also sustained damage in a separate incident. Two people were hurt when debris from intercepted drones fell into the courtyards of two homes in Dubai.
Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, which host US military bases, also reported intercepting missiles fired towards them, but falling debris appeared to have caused widespread damage.
The Kuwait military said Iran launched 97 ballistic missiles at the country. Earlier, three Kuwaiti troops were injured after shrapnel fell at Ali Al Salem Air Base. Kuwait’s Ministry of Health confirmed one death and 32 injuries linked to the regional escalation.
In Bahrain, the Interior Ministry reported that the airport was damaged after being targeted by a drone. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said it has summoned the Iranian ambassador after accusing Tehran of launching strikes against the kingdom.
Meanwhile, Oman’s state news agency reported Duqm commercial port was targeted by two drones, injuring one worker.
