Iran stepped up attacks on oil facilities and tankers in the Persian Gulf on Thursday morning, as several Gulf states intercepted drones and missiles and the United States, Israel and Iran continued to exchange attacks in the Middle East.
Here’s what we’re seeing and hearing:
Israel announced that it had confirmed a missile fired from Iran towards its territory. Sirens wailed across north-central Israel. According to state media, Iran admitted to launching a “new wave of missiles” at Israel and claimed that Hezbollah also took part in the attack.
In Lebanon, Israel launched another large-scale “wave of attacks” across the country, saying the attacks destroyed Hezbollah launch pads and Hezbollah infrastructure in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut. This followed a series of attacks in the suburbs on Wednesday night after Hezbollah said Israeli forces fired “dozens” of rockets. CNN teams on the ground in Beirut heard and felt explosions throughout the night.
Iraq: Video located by CNN shows smoke billowing from Erbil International Airport in Iraq’s Kurdistan region. Earlier, two foreign oil tankers were attacked by Iranian drones in Iraqi territorial waters. At least one person died and 38 people were rescued. Iran claimed responsibility for the explosion, saying an underwater drone blew up the tanker.
Bahrain said the Iranian attack targeted fuel tanks at a facility in Muharraq province in the north of the kingdom. The Interior Ministry warned residents of four nearby towns and villages to stay at home and close their windows to avoid the effects of smoke and fire.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense announced that it intercepted and destroyed more than 20 unmanned aircraft in the eastern part of the country, where the country’s oil fields are located.
The United Arab Emirates said its air defenses were responding to “missile and drone threats from Iran.” The Dubai Government Media Office said a drone landed on a building near the Creek Port and a minor fire was extinguished.
The Kuwaiti Armed Forces said its air defense forces intercepted “a number of hostile drones” that violated the country’s airspace in the north at dawn. Two people were injured when a drone targeted a house in southern Kuwait, the Defense Ministry said.
