Explosions and debris reports spread from Dubai to Oman after strikes on Iran.
DUBAI, UAE — Iranian missile and drone attacks rattled parts of the Middle East on Sunday, striking or sending debris into Gulf cities and key transport hubs a day after U.S. and Israeli forces hit targets in Iran, officials and residents said as the conflict spilled beyond its main battle lines.
The latest exchanges widened a crisis already shaking regional security and global markets. Gulf states that have tried to balance ties with Washington, Tehran and Israel suddenly faced damage on their own soil, while airlines rerouted and shipping operators weighed new risks near the Strait of Hormuz. Governments urged calm even as they prepared for the possibility of more strikes.
Hours after daybreak, residents in parts of the United Arab Emirates and neighboring countries described hearing blasts and seeing flashes in the sky. In Dubai, a major air travel hub, authorities reported damage tied to intercepted threats and falling debris. In Abu Dhabi, officials said debris hit a prominent tower complex that includes diplomatic facilities and injured at least two people. Across the Gulf, emergency crews responded to small fires and scattered wreckage as air defenses engaged incoming objects over several cities.
The attacks followed a sharp escalation that began late Friday and into Saturday, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes inside Iran. Israeli leaders said the operation aimed to cripple Iranian military capabilities and leadership structures. Iranian officials confirmed the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and said the country had moved to an interim leadership arrangement while senior security officials managed the response. President Donald Trump warned Tehran against further escalation and said the United States would respond forcefully if American forces were targeted.
Iran cast its retaliation as self-defense and said it was striking military-related sites linked to the United States and Israel. In practice, the fallout spread quickly into densely populated areas that sit near military installations and critical infrastructure. In Dubai, officials said debris from intercepts caused fires and damaged buildings near prominent waterfront landmarks, while disruptions rippled through flight schedules at the international airport. In Bahrain, authorities reported an attack that struck a high-rise and said security forces were assessing damage near government sites and around areas hosting foreign military facilities.
In Kuwait, officials said an airport area was hit, injuring several people and prompting temporary changes to operations as runway crews cleared debris. Jordan reported fires sparked by falling fragments after intercepts, according to local officials, while Oman said the port area at Duqm was targeted by drones, wounding a worker and forcing some industrial activity to pause. Qatar reported a fire in an industrial zone tied to missile debris and said emergency teams contained it. In each case, authorities urged residents to avoid damaged areas while investigators mapped impact points and recovered fragments for analysis.
The widening geography intensified a diplomatic scramble across capitals that have tried to keep the fighting contained. Several Arab governments condemned violations of sovereignty and warned that attacks spreading into commercial centers threatened civilians and the region’s economy. Some leaders privately pressed Washington and Tehran through back channels, while public statements struck a careful tone that paired condemnation with calls for de-escalation. In Europe and Asia, foreign ministries issued travel advisories and urged their citizens to leave high-risk areas as quickly as possible, citing uncertainty over what might come next.
Markets reacted to the prospect of prolonged disruption in one of the world’s most important energy corridors. Shipping executives said insurers were reassessing risk premiums for vessels transiting the Gulf, and some operators reported diverting or delaying sailings while awaiting clearer guidance from naval authorities. The aviation impact was immediate and visible: major carriers rerouted flights away from parts of Iranian and Iraqi airspace, and airports from Dubai to Doha posted rolling delays as air traffic controllers managed sudden surges of diverted aircraft.
Israel signaled the campaign against Iran was not finished. Israeli officials said warplanes struck targets in Tehran again on Sunday, framing the follow-on attacks as necessary to prevent further Iranian launches and to degrade command-and-control networks. Iran, meanwhile, said its forces had struck U.S. and Israeli-linked military assets and would continue if attacks on Iranian territory persisted. Regional armed groups aligned with Iran also threatened additional operations, raising fears that fronts in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and the Red Sea could flare at the same time.
Inside Iran, the leadership transition added another layer of uncertainty. State media said a temporary leadership council that includes President Masoud Pezeshkian was taking on key duties while senior clerical and security figures coordinated policy. Analysts and diplomats said the country’s security apparatus, including the Revolutionary Guard, remained intact and capable of continued strikes, even as internal politics entered a volatile phase. The immediate question, they said, was whether Iran would prioritize demonstrating strength abroad or stabilizing control at home while it mourned a leader who had been the central figure of the state.
Across the Gulf, the human toll and the sudden sense of vulnerability were apparent in small, sharp moments. Residents in Dubai described waking to emergency alerts and the sound of sirens, then seeing smoke columns that thinned as firefighters arrived. A shop owner near a damaged roadway said the blasts felt closer than anything he had experienced in years. In Abu Dhabi, a resident of a neighboring building said windows shook “like a heavy storm,” and families gathered in hallways away from glass until authorities announced the immediate danger had passed.
By late Sunday, officials across multiple countries said assessments were still underway and warned that the risk of further attacks remained high. Governments said air defenses were on alert and that security forces would maintain heightened readiness into the week, with briefings expected as investigations determine the exact paths and targets of the incoming weapons. The next milestone is expected to be a round of official updates on Monday as regional leaders weigh diplomatic and military steps amid continuing strikes.
Author note: Last updated March 1, 2026.