Gulf states’ defenses have successfully repelled Iranian attacks
Kuwait announced it had intercepted two waves of missile and drone attacks, while Saudi Arabia said it had destroyed a large number of drones.
On Friday, Kuwait said it had countered two waves of missile and drone attacks, while Saudi Arabia reported destroying numerous drones. Air-raid sirens sounded three times in Bahrain during the night, while Tehran announced it had targeted sites in the United Arab Emirates, as the U.S.–Israeli war on Iran entered its 35th day.
These developments highlight the effectiveness of Gulf defense systems in confronting Iranian drones and ballistic missiles, drawing on the military experience gained since the outbreak of the war.
The Kuwaiti army said in a statement that “air defenses repelled hostile missile and drone attacks.”
It added that “any sounds of explosions heard are the result of air defense systems intercepting hostile attacks,” urging residents to adhere to safety instructions.
In a later statement, the Kuwaiti army reported repelling a new wave of hostile missile and drone attacks, the second since dawn on Friday, without providing further details.
However, the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation announced fires in operational units at the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery following a drone strike at dawn on Friday, with no human casualties reported.
In the same context, Kuwait’s National Guard denied reports circulating on social media about a possible radioactive leak.
Through its account on the platform “X,” the National Guard stated that the circulating information was false, adding that “readings in the air and territorial waters of Kuwait remain within natural levels.”
It added that “specialized teams are continuously monitoring the situation in coordination with relevant authorities to ensure everyone’s safety, and the radiological monitoring system is operating efficiently around the clock.”
In Bahrain, the Ministry of Interior announced in three statements that air-raid sirens had sounded three times since dawn on Friday at 00:08, 01:57, and 04:44 local time.
The ministry urged citizens and residents to proceed to the nearest safe place without providing further details. The sounding of sirens is typically associated with the detection of attacks.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense said it had intercepted and destroyed more than 13 drones targeting the kingdom in recent hours, without further details.
Iran announced Friday that it had targeted with ballistic missiles a “secret point” in the United Arab Emirates where American pilots and aviation engineers were gathered.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement: “A precise ballistic missile strike targeted a secret meeting place of American aviation engineers and combat pilots outside a base in the UAE,” without further details.
It added that “information from the field and the heavy movement of ambulances indicate a large number of dead and wounded as a result of the attack,” without specifying figures.
Tehran also announced targeting a data center and IT infrastructure belonging to Oracle Corporation in the UAE, while Dubai authorities denied these reports.
A statement by the Revolutionary Guard on Thursday said the targeting of the American company came in response to an attack that had targeted the head of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, Kamal Kharrazi, two days earlier.
The statement noted that Iran had previously announced its intention to target IT and AI companies linked to the United States and Israel in the region in response to the assassination of Iranian figures.
By contrast, the Dubai Government Media Office denied the Revolutionary Guard’s claims in a post on the platform “X,” describing the report as “fabricated and false.”
Since February 28, Israel and the United States have been waging war on Iran, resulting in thousands of Iranian casualties, while Tehran has responded by launching missiles and drones toward Israel.
Iran has also targeted what it describes as “American interests” in Arab countries, causing deaths, injuries, and damage to civilian property, which has been condemned by the affected states.
