Retaliation: Iran attacks multiple Arab countries, US bases in the Middle East; 26 killed
Virendra Panditt
New Delhi: Quickly spreading the ongoing war within hours in the Middle East, Iran, responding to a joint US-Israel aerial attack on Saturday, launched retaliatory strikes against six US-friendly Arab neighbours and an American base in the volatile region, killing at least 26 people, the media reported on Saturday.
Israel claimed it killed Mohammad Pakpour, a top commander of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), among the most powerful men in Iran.
The US and Israel’s joint strike near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini killed 24 at an Iranian school, the reports said.
Iran counter-attacked the UAE’s Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Qatar’s Doha, and Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh hours after Israel and the US conducted joint ‘pre-emptive’ strikes on Iran, plunging the restive region into a new conflict.
Multiple loud explosions rocked Abu Dhabi as Iranian forces targeted the Al Dhafra Air Base, a critical military installation shared by the UAE Air Force and the US Air Force.
The UAE’s Ministry of Defence confirmed death of a civilian of Asian nationality due to the “fall of some missile debris in a residential area” in Abu Dhabi.
In a direct strike against American naval dominance, Iran targeted the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Manama, Bahrain, whose National Communication Centre confirmed that the fleet’s service center was subjected to a missile attack. Thick smoke was reported rising from the Juffair area, highlighting a severe escalation that directly threatens international maritime security and logistical support ships in the Gulf.
Dubai residents told reporters that they heard an explosion and saw missiles streak across the sky. “It was a big explosion, and it made the windows shake,” one of them said, adding she saw three missiles heading across the sky before disappearing into the distance, as she described them as “fireballs” followed by a trail of smoke.
US bases
In Doha, the 24-hectare Al Udeid Air Base is the forward headquarters for US Central Command.
The US reportedly has over 2,000 soldiers in Saudi Arabia, some of them being stationed 60 km south of Riyadh, at Prince Sultan Air Base. The base supports US Army assets, including Patriot missile batteries and Terminal High Altitude Area Defence systems.
The US Navy’s Fifth Fleet area of responsibility includes the Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean. Several US ships have their home port in Bahrain, including anti-mine vessels and logistical support ships.
Kuwait said its air defence was “engaged with incoming missiles.”
Qatar said it successfully intercepted the “attacks” targeting them.
Saudi Arabia condemned “in the strongest terms the treacherous Iranian aggression.” It said strikes were the “blatant violation of the sovereignty” of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan.
It also warned Tehran of “grave consequences.”
Flights suspended
Global airlines suspended flights across the Middle East after the IS-Israel launched strikes on Iran. Israel, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar have shut their airspace. Air India and IndiGo diverted flights due to the closure of airspace.
