Many Gulf countries targeted by Iranian missile strikes: The latest as of Saturday noon

Following the U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran, several Gulf countries have come under Iranian missile fire. The United Arab Emirates said it reserves the right to respond to what it described as an Iranian missile attack.

The United States has thousands of troops stationed at military bases across the Middle East, where Washington has carried out multiple operations over recent decades.

Bahrain

A facility at the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain was hit in a “missile attack,” the country’s authorities said Saturday in a statement.

“The Fifth Fleet service center was subjected to a missile attack. We will provide further details later,” Bahrain’s National Communication Center said.

United Arab Emirates

At least one person was killed in Abu Dhabi after several missiles launched from Iran were intercepted, according to the country’s official news agency.

The UAE said “this attack constitutes a blatant violation of national sovereignty and international law,” adding that it “fully reserves the right to respond to this escalation.”

Residents of Abu Dhabi told AFP they heard loud explosions in the capital, which hosts a base with U.S. personnel. Earlier, the UAE announced the “temporary and partial” closure of its airspace as an exceptional precautionary measure. Residents of Dubai also reported hearing explosions.

Qatar

Qatari air defenses intercepted an Iranian missile on Saturday, an official told AFP, as alert sirens sounded in the emirate. U.S.-made Patriot systems shot down the missile, the official said on condition of anonymity, following the outbreak of U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran.

Qatar hosts Al-Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. military installation in the region.

Saudi Arabia

Explosions were heard in Riyadh on Saturday, according to AFP correspondents.

Kuwait

Explosions were also heard in Kuwait, according to an AFP correspondent. Kuwait’s chief of staff said in a statement that “air defense systems intercepted incoming missiles detected in the airspace.”

Shipping in the Gulf

U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran “significantly increase the security risk to ships” in the Gulf and surrounding waters, Bimco, one of the world’s leading shipowners’ associations, warned Saturday.

“Vessels with commercial ties to American or Israeli interests are more likely to be targeted, but other ships may also be affected, either deliberately or by mistake,” the association said in a statement.