US-Israel Strikes On Iran Trigger Missile Attacks Across The Gulf

A dramatic widening of the Middle East conflict unfolded on Saturday after coordinated military strikes by the United States  and Israel on targetsinside Iran were followed by retaliatory missile and drone launches that rippled across the Gulf.

The initial wave of attacks reportedly struck locations in Tehran, including areas near a compound associated with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Thick smoke was seen rising over parts of the capital. It was not immediately known whether the Iranian leader was present at the time. Iranian authorities later reported that at least 40 students were among those killed in the strikes, though independent verification was not immediately available.

In Washington, US President Donald Trump defended the military action in a video statement posted on social media, accusing Tehran of decades of hostility and violence. In an extraordinary appeal, he urged Iranian citizens to “take over” their government once the operation concluded, signalling what many analysts described as an overt challenge to Iran’s ruling establishment.

Tehran responded swiftly. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the launch of what it called a “first wave” of missiles and drones targeting Israel and US-linked installations in the region. Air raid warnings were activated across Israel as defence systems moved to intercept incoming projectiles.

The fallout quickly spread beyond the immediate theatres of conflict. Authorities in the United Arab Emirates confirmed a fatality in Abu Dhabi following a missile impact, though details remained limited. Air defence systems in Kuwait, Qatar and Jordan were activated, with officials reporting successful interceptions of aerial threats.

In Bahrain, authorities acknowledged that a strike targeted facilities linked to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet. Witnesses described sirens and explosions, with smoke visible near coastal areas. Similar scenes were reported in Kuwait and Qatar, where residents heard multiple blasts.

Governments across the region moved quickly to tighten security. Iraq and the UAE shut their airspace, while Jordan activated nationwide sirens. Commercial aviation was severely disrupted, with international carriers suspending services and flight-tracking maps showing large stretches of airspace nearly empty.

In Yemen, senior officials from the Iran-aligned Houthis movement signalled that attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes and Israeli-linked targets could resume, raising concerns about further escalation in maritime corridors critical to global trade.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a strongly worded statement declaring that the country would not hesitate to defend itself against what it described as aggression. “The time has come to protect the homeland and confront the enemy’s military assault,” the statement said.

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