Doha, 28 Feb: A five-star beachfront hotel in Dubai was damaged and several Gulf states reported intercepted missiles and drones after Iran widened its retaliatory campaign late Saturday, targeting sites it said were linked to the United States.
Flames were seen at Fairmont The Palm on the Palm Jumeirah waterfront. Dubai officials said four people were injured in a blaze in the area and that the fire was brought under control. Separately, the Dubai Media Office reported an “incident” at Dubai International Airport that left four people wounded and caused minor damage to a concourse.
The UAE Ministry of Defence said its air defences “dealt with the missiles with high efficiency and successfully intercepted a number of missiles,” calling the strikes a “blatant violation of national sovereignty and international law.” Authorities in Abu Dhabi said debris fell in a residential district, killing one civilian and causing material damage.
A British resident in Dubai Marina described hearing a “loud bang” and seeing a “big puff of black smoke” before a “flurry of missiles” were intercepted overhead for several minutes, adding she felt “very on edge.”
Missiles intercepted across region
Elsewhere, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait — all hosts to U.S. military facilities — reported intercepting incoming projectiles. Explosions were reported near Naval Support Activity Bahrain, home port of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, though the extent of any damage was not immediately clear.
Qatar’s defence authorities said air defences engaged missiles apparently aimed at Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. installation in the Middle East. Kuwait reported limited damage and minor injuries at its international airport following a drone incident. Jordan said it shot down ballistic missiles over its territory without casualties.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it was targeting U.S. bases and assets under an operation dubbed “Truthful Promise 4.” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described earlier U.S.-Israeli actions against Iran as “wholly unprovoked, illegal, and illegitimate,” adding that Iran would “teach the aggressors the lesson they deserve.”
Qatar’s foreign ministry condemned what it called “a flagrant violation of its national sovereignty” and an “unacceptable escalation.”
Oil chokepoint in focus
Maritime monitors reported warnings to vessels about possible disruption to traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical corridor that carries roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas supplies. Any sustained interruption could roil energy markets and global trade.
The United States maintains about 13 military bases across the Middle East with tens of thousands of troops deployed. In Israel, sirens sounded nationwide as the military said it was intercepting multiple rounds of missiles fired from Iran.
Authorities across the Gulf said assessments of damage were ongoing as emergency crews secured affected sites and air defences remained on alert.
