Loud explosions rang out across Dubai, Kuwait City and Doha for a third consecutive day on Monday as Iran continued launching missile and drone strikes against Gulf states hosting US military assets. Thick plumes of black smoke were reported rising above industrial districts and ports, with sirens echoing through urban centres that had, until days earlier, been operating as normal. Kuwaiti air defences intercepted the majority of the drones near Rumaithiya and Salwa neighbourhoods.
The strikes were Iran's response to coordinated US-Israeli military operations launched on 28 February 2026. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, was killed in those strikes at his office in Tehran. His daughter, son-in-law and grandson were also killed. Tehran's retaliation was immediate and wide-ranging, with the Gulf states bearing much of the brunt.
