The Iran war persisted Friday in drawing Arab neighbors directly into the conflict, with heavy explosions shaking Dubai early in the morning as air defenses intercepted incoming fire over the city as people observed Eid al-Fitr, the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
Bahrain’s Interior Ministry reported a fire erupted Friday morning after shrapnel fell on a warehouse in the island kingdom, while Kuwait said it worked to intercept incoming Iranian fire. Saudi Arabia reported shooting down multiple Iranian drones targeting its oil-rich Eastern Province.
Israel hit the Iranian capital Tehran with airstrikes Friday morning. Activists reported sounds of the strikes around the city as Iranians marked Nowruz, the Persian New Year.
The morning attacks followed Israel's pledge the previous day to refrain from more strikes on a key Iranian gas field, while Iran kept up its wave of attacks on oil and gas facilities around the Gulf, which have caused millions of people to move into shelters and sent shock waves through the global economy.
The price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, has spiked since Israel and the U.S. started the war with Iran. The death toll from Israeli strikes in Lebanon topped 1,000 people on Thursday during renewed fighting with the militant group Hezbollah.
Here is the latest:
Kuwait said Friday its Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery again came under attack by Iranian drones, which sparked a fire at several of its units.
Iranian state television acknowledged the attack Friday without claiming responsibility.
Kuwait said firefighters were trying to control the blazes and there were no immediate injuries from the attack.
The Iranian attack came as Kuwait marked Eid al-Fitr, the celebration marking the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
The attack Friday comes as Iran increasingly targets energy sites in Gulf Arab states after Israel on Wednesday bombed Iran’s massive South Pars offshore natural gas field in the Persian Gulf.
Mina Al-Ahmadi can process some 730,000 barrels of oil per day. It is one of three oil refineries in Kuwait, a tiny, oil-rich nation on the Persian Gulf.
The Kuwait Petroleum Corp. said it shut down the units affected by the attack. Kuwait has been unable to export its oil as the war has gone on because it relies on sending it out by sea through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, a particular target of Iranian attack as the war has gone on.
Bahrain’s Interior Ministry reported a fire erupted Friday morning after shrapnel fell on a warehouse in the island kingdom. Firefighters worked to control the blaze, it said.
Saudi Arabia reported shooting down multiple Iranian drones Friday morning targeting its oil-rich Eastern Province.
Heavy explosions shook Dubai in the United Arab Emirates early Friday as air defenses intercepted incoming fire over the city.
A missile alert sounded prior to the strike, with authorities saying there were activating air defenses to counter an Iranian barrage.
The Dubai Media Office, the sheikhdom’s government communication’s arm, said, “Authorities in Dubai confirm the success of all air interception operations, with no injuries reported.”
It came as the UAE marked Eid al-Fitr, the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, and as mosques made the day’s first call to prayers.
Kuwait also said Friday morning it had worked to intercept incoming Iranian fire.
Iranians marked Nowruz, or the Persian New Year, early Friday morning as airstrikes began.
Israel’s military said very early Friday it had begun to strike Tehran.
Activists reported hearing strikes around Tehran after Israel’s announcement of a new wave of attacks.
The announcement came after an intense day of Iranian missile strikes targeting Israel, with more than a dozen launches on Thursday alone, according to Israel’s military.