Bangladeshi among 3 killed in UAE after Iranian attacks

Iran's retaliatory missile and drone campaign in the Gulf has killed three people, including a Bangladeshi national, and wounded 58 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since it began, Emirati authorities said on Sunday.

AFP correspondents heard repeated, powerful blasts in Dubai, Doha and Manama, with explosions also in Riyadh, as Iran pressed a second day of counter-strikes following US and Israeli attacks that killed its supreme leader and other top officials.

Iran's continued and unprecedented Gulf bombardment has raised fears of a wider conflict and rattled a region long seen as a haven of peace and security in the turbulent Middle East.

Two other people killed in the UAE attacks were Pakistani and Nepalese nationals, Abu Dhabi's defence ministry said.

Since Saturday the UAE detected 165 ballistic missiles, destroying 152, and intercepted two cruise missiles, the defence ministry said.

It added 506 of 541 Iranian drones were also shot down.

In Kuwait, the health ministry said one person had been killed and 32 others injured since Saturday.

In Oman, which helped mediate US-Iran talks and was the only Gulf state spared in the first day of the Iranian campaign, the port of Duqm was targeted by two drones, the Oman News Agency said in a social media post.

"One drone struck a mobile workers' accommodation, injuring one foreign worker, while debris from the other landed near fuel tanks, causing no casualties or material damage," it said.

- Hotels become targets -

Shortly after, Oman said an oil tanker was targeted off the coast. Its crew was evacuated and four of them were injured, the news agency reported.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was to convene via video-link later Sunday for a unified response to Iran's attacks.

Across the Gulf, civilian infrastructure has been hit: from airports and seaports to residential buildings and even hotels.

UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash on Sunday lashed out at Tehran, calling the attacks on the Gulf states a miscalculation.

"It isolated Iran at a critical juncture. Your war is not with your neighbours," said Gargash.

Gulf security analyst Anna Jacobs said: "The Gulf countries right now are really on the front lines of this brutal war."

"Gulf countries, as always, want to support de-escalation and diplomacy... But this commitment and these principles are being put to the test right now," she added.

"If Iran continues to hit these countries and escalates even more, it will be very difficult for them to just sit and do nothing."

Early Sunday, drones struck the airport in Bahrain's capital Manama, causing minor damage, authorities said.

The US embassy in Manama urged citizens to steer clear of hotels in the Bahraini capital, warning they could become potential targets after the Crowne Plaza was hit.

On Saturday in Manama, drones and shrapnel slammed into residential buildings, with video on social media showing smoke and fire erupting from high-rises.

"We advise US citizens in Bahrain that hotels might be a target for future attacks, and encourage US citizens to avoid hotels in Manama," the embassy said in a post on X.

Earlier, an AFP correspondent saw damage at the hotel after hearing explosions.

- Palm, Burj Al Arab -

In the UAE, which has borne the brunt of the attacks, two people were injured when debris from intercepted drones fell on homes in Dubai, authorities said.

And in the capital Abu Dhabi, a woman and child were injured after debris from an intercepted drone collided with a building facade at Etihad Towers, according to the Abu Dhabi Media Office.

On Saturday, the Iranian attacks sparked fires at landmarks such as The Palm seafront development and Burj Al Arab hotel.

At the airport in Abu Dhabi, at least one person was killed and seven wounded during what authorities called an "incident" and another died earlier in the day from falling debris.

Dubai airport, the world's busiest for international traffic, and Kuwait's airport, were also hit.

In Qatar, host of the region's biggest US military base, officials said Iran had launched 65 missiles and 12 drones towards the Gulf state, most of which were intercepted, but eight people were injured, with one in critical condition.

Smoke rose on Saturday from US bases in Abu Dhabi and Manama, home of the American navy's Fifth Fleet, witnesses said, with US bases also targeted in Kuwait.

The oil-and-gas-rich Arab monarchies host a clutch of US military bases.

Source: AFP