Air-raid sirens and shuttered airspace marked Saturday across two Gulf states that have long considered themselves removed from direct conflict, prompting Abu Dhabi to issue a sharp rebuke of Tehran.
The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released two separate condemnations after Iranian drones and missiles were aimed at Kuwait and Bahrain, branding the assaults the work of terrorists and rejecting them in the firmest possible language.
Each statement carried near-identical framing. The Ministry affirmed that these terrorist attacks constitute a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Kuwait and a threat to its security and stability, and issued a parallel declaration regarding Bahrain. Abu Dhabi pledged complete solidarity with both governments and endorsed whatever steps either may take to protect its territory, citizens and residents.
The diplomatic response landed amid one of the most serious security escalations the region has seen in recent years. Bahrain activated emergency sirens and urged residents to seek shelter during the early hours of Saturday, while Kuwait temporarily closed its airspace and later confirmed that its air defence systems had intercepted missiles and drones. Kuwaiti officials reported that emergency crews were dispatched to handle damage caused by debris falling from intercepted projectiles.
According to Khaleej Times, the dawn strike on Kuwait followed an earlier large-scale Iranian assault that killed one Indian national and left 63 people injured. Bahrain, for its part, said it had intercepted three missiles and several drones launched in its direction.
The wider trigger lay in a sharpening confrontation between Tehran and Washington near the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command said Iran had launched ballistic missiles towards Gulf states after American forces struck Iranian radar installations. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps gave its own account: it had targeted US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain in retaliation for the US strikes and fired on four tankers attempting to cross the strait without its permission.
Agence France-Presse, cited by Kurdistan 24, reported that the missile volley came only hours after the US announced its strike on the radar sites. The bombardment marked the second time in three days that Bahrain and Kuwait had been hit by direct Iranian fire, despite a nominal ceasefire in place since April 8. An AFP correspondent described repeated explosions near Kuwait’s international airport, the same facility struck earlier in the week.
Kuwait’s aviation authority moved quickly to manage the disruption. Eleven commercial flights were diverted when the country closed its airspace, before operations later resumed.
