- Iran launched missile and drone attacks on Israel and US bases in the Middle East
- Blasts reported in Dubai and Doha following Iran's vow of revenge for Khamenei's death
- Dubai airport shut after attacks, including strikes on Palm Island and Burj Al Arab hotel
Iran has launched a fresh round of extensive missile and drone attacks on Israel and US bases in the Middle East, hours after vowing revenge for the death of its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
According to media reports, several loud blasts have been heard in Dubai and over Qatar's capital Doha as Iran launched fresh strikes. The UAE and Qatar are US allies, and Iran's offensive is to send a message to its neighbours that siding with its enemy will have consequences.
IRGC has said that in the fifth wave of Operation True Promise, a ship carrying ammunition for American vessels was hit by four drones at the Jebel Ali anchorage and "completely disabled with damage and explosions.
"The American naval base in the Abdullah Mubarak area of Kuwait was hit by 4 ballistic missiles and 12 drones, and all the infrastructure was destroyed, and a large number of American forces were killed and injured. Also, the MST-class combat support ship, which was carrying fuel for American vessels in the Indian Ocean, was hit by Iranian Qadr 380 missiles," it said. "The IRGC Navy, along with the air force, will keep the gates of hell open to enemy units," it added.
Iran has attacked Dubai airport, among the busiest airports globally, which has been shut for operations after hostilities began. Earlier, it had struck the Palm, Dubai's famed land island, and a luxury hotel, Burj Al Arab.
The US and Israel carried out coordinated airstrikes across Iran yesterday after stalled nuclear talks and claims that Iran had resumed its nuclear activities. The mission, named Operation Epic Fury, targeted several major Iranian cities, including the capital Tehran.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader since 1989, was killed in the strikes. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has vowed to punish the "murderers" of their Supreme Leader and promised that the response will be the "most ferocious offensive operation in history" against the US and Israel. In a statement posted on Telegram, the IRGC said, "The hand of revenge of the Iranian nation for a severe, decisive and regrettable punishment for the murderers of the Imam of the Ummah will not let go of them."
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has demanded an immediate cessation of hostilities, warning of "grave consequences" for global security. The European Union and Russia, too, have sought de-escalation.
