4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Mar 3, 2026 12:42 PM IST
US, Israel-Iran war news: Missiles continued to fly across West Asia on Monday (March 2), as the US and Israel bombed Iran and it retaliated, aiming for US military bases that dot the region.
Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE have all been impacted, shattering the calm these countries have enjoyed so far, insulated from their volatile surroundings and emerging as a destination of choice for expats from around the world.
Iran’s confirmed targets
Map of Iran’s retaliatory strikes in the Middle East.
Iran’s strikes have been aimed at Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain and the UAE. In many regions, debris and injuries have been attributed not to the attacks but to the interceptors thwarting them. Some major hits include:
US Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters, Bahrain: The AP reported that the island kingdom of Bahrain said one person was killed by shrapnel from an intercepted missile. Home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet, Bahrain said it intercepted 61 missiles and 34 attack drones.
Ships rotationally deploy here from the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets. The area of responsibility for the fleet encompasses about 2.5 million square miles and includes the Arabian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Red Sea, and the Arabian Sea. It includes critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal.
Aramco refinery, Saudi Arabia: The Saudi Arabian state oil company, the largest in the world, temporarily shut down its major Ras Tanura oil refinery near Dammam on the Persian Gulf after Iranian drones targeted it. Saudi state television reported no casualties from the fire at the refinery, which has a capacity of over half a million barrels of crude oil a day.
US jets shot down in Kuwait: CNN reported that three US fighter jets were accidentally shot down by Kuwaiti air defences in a “friendly fire incident,” citing the US military.
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Al Jazeera also cited the Kuwaiti Defence Ministry, which said that the Ali al-Salem Air Base came under attack by several ballistic missiles, which were all intercepted. One death was reported on Sunday.
At least three US service personnel have also died in Kuwait.
Energy facilities, Qatar: Qatar’s Defence Ministry said two drones struck energy facilities in Ras Laffan. Bloomberg reported that state-owned petroleum company QatarEnergy ceased LNG production after the attacks. Notably, LNG imports accounted for 50% of India’s overall imports from Qatar in 2024.
Palm Jumeirah, Burj Al Arab and Dubai airport: Explosions were reported at the luxury hotel. Drone debris caused a fire at the hotel, the AFP reported. Three people were reported dead in the UAE.
Why these targets
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Unlike past conflicts, the widening spread of attacks suggests an Iran under great pressure, with President Masoud Pezeshkian describing Khamenei’s killing as “a great crime.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a letter to the UN, said they would utilise “all necessary defensive capabilities and measures” to counter the US-Israeli attacks. “Consequently, all bases, facilities, and assets of hostile forces in the region are considered legitimate military targets. Iran will exercise this inherent right decisively until the aggression is completely and unequivocally halted,” he wrote.
He also told Al Jazeera, “We are not attacking our neighbours in the Persian Gulf countries, we are targeting the presence of the US in these countries. Neighbours should direct their grievances to the decision-makers of this war”.
Notably, Oman, which had so far been negotiating US-Iran talks, announced Sunday that the Duqm commercial port was targeted by two drones, injuring one worker. Oil tankers have also been reportedly hit. Oman has for long been Iran’s conduit with the West.
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Experts also believe that Iran is trying to exert pressure enough so that these countries can prevail upon the US to arrange for a ceasefire.
Turkey also has a major US military air base, but a direct attack on Turkey can get NATO involved.
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