Iran retaliates: Missile strikes hit UAE, Qatar, and Jordan, targeting US bases
These attacks, which included missile and drone fire, have jeopardised a fragile ceasefire and increased security risks for maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz
Iran has escalated regional tensions by targeting Gulf countries including Oman, the UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, and Qatar with missile and drone attacks, retaliating for recent US strikes on over 140 Iranian targets; the US Central Command confirmed its third round of strikes after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly attacked the Cyprus-flagged vessel M/V GFS Galaxy in the Strait of Hormuz, an incident that has prompted a significant reduction in merchant vessel traffic through the vital waterway as operators reassess risks and alter routes due to ongoing security concerns.
Iran has escalated regional tensions by targeting Gulf countries including Oman, the UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, and Qatar with missile and drone attacks, retaliating for recent US strikes on over 140 Iranian targets; the US Central Command confirmed its third round of strikes after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly attacked the Cyprus-flagged vessel M/V GFS Galaxy in the Strait of Hormuz, an incident that has prompted a significant reduction in merchant vessel traffic through the vital waterway as operators reassess risks and alter routes due to ongoing security concerns.
Iran has escalated regional tensions by targeting Gulf countries including Oman, the UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, and Qatar with missile and drone attacks, retaliating for recent US strikes on over 140 Iranian targets; the US Central Command confirmed its third round of strikes after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly attacked the Cyprus-flagged vessel M/V GFS Galaxy in the Strait of Hormuz, an incident that has prompted a significant reduction in merchant vessel traffic through the vital waterway as operators reassess risks and alter routes due to ongoing security concerns.
Putting the ceasefire at risk, Iran has targeted Gulf countries, including Oman and the UAE, in retaliation for the US attacks on over 140 targets inside the Islamic Republic. The US Central Command said its forces launched a third round of strikes against Iran this week after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps allegedly attacked the M/V GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported loud explosions in Kuwait, adding that the blasts were powerful enough to be heard in parts of Iraq.
Explosions were also heard in Jordan. The IRGC also later put out a statement saying its aerospace forces targeted the US Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan, saying ballistic missiles destroyed the base’s command and control centre and MQ-9 drone hangars.
Missile alerts were also sounded in Bahrain, an island kingdom in the Persian Gulf home to the US Navy's 5th Fleet. Bahrain’s Interior Ministry urged citizens and residents to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place.
The United Arab Emirates was also at the receiving end of the Iranian ire, with its Ministry of Defence stating that its air defence systems were actively engaging Iranian missile and drone attacks. The sounds heard across parts of the country were the result of intercepting ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, the statement said.
Explosions were also heard in Doha on Saturday as Qatar’s government sent a security alert to mobile phones, Reuters reported. Qatar's military said in a statement that it intercepted the incoming Iranian fire. The IRGC later said it targeted the US Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar with ballistic missiles, adding strikes on the facility’s command centre and fighter aircraft maintenance centre.
The IRGC also continues to intercept vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as part of what it described as retaliation for continued US attacks on Iranian military positions. Post the attack, more vessels are beginning to avoid the Strait of Hormuz. According to reports, the number of merchant vessels waiting west of the Strait of Hormuz dropped below 700.
Maritime tracking data cited by Hellenic Shipping News said fewer vessels are remaining in the area as operators reassess the risks of transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Many vessels have altered routes or reduced movements amid security concerns.
The latest round of fire came as Iran struck M/V GFS Galaxy, setting it ablaze and forcing its crew to abandon it. According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the vessel's company security officer stated that the crew had abandoned a ship and were now aboard a lifeboat. IRGC claimed they struck the vessel after it ignored orders to change course.