Fresh explosions have been heard in multiple Gulf cities as tensions continue to spiral across the Middle East. Residents and eyewitnesses reported loud blasts over Dubai Doha and Manama early this Sunday after a new wave of Iranian missile and drone strikes targeted military and strategic sites across the region in retaliation for recent U.S. and Israeli attacks. AFP correspondents on the ground captured thick plumes of black smoke rising over the skyline in Doha and Manama while blasts echoed across Dubai’s horizon.
The incidents come amid what appears to be a sixth wave of strikes launched by Iran’s military against U.S. military bases and allied security infrastructure in the Gulf prompting air defence systems in the UAE Qatar and Bahrain to activate and intercept incoming projectiles. Authorities across the region reported sirens blaring and residents advised to take shelter as airspace closures and disrupted commercial flights compounded the fear and uncertainty gripping the Gulf.
In Dubai multiple interceptions triggered explosions and clouded parts of the city in smoke reflecting the intensity of the aerial exchanges. In Doha the capital of Qatar explosions were again heard after earlier attacks with air defence systems reportedly engaging incoming missiles and drones. Meanwhile Manama’s skies echoed with blasts as Bahrain’s defence forces responded to the strikes and warned citizens to remain vigilant.
These renewed explosions come a day after heavy Iranian attacks that hit Gulf airports and infrastructure injured civilians and heightened fears of a broader regional conflict. Governments in the region and world leaders continue urging restraint even as the spectre of wider violence looms over the Gulf’s major population and economic centres.
