A black plume of smoke rises from a warehouse at the industrial area of Sharjah City in the United Arab Emirates following reports of Iranian strikes in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (AP photo)
Seven countries in the Gulf and West Asia joined the United States on Monday in condemning Iran over a wave of missile and drone attacks across the region, even as fighting between Washington, Israel and Tehran continued to intensify.In a joint statement shared by the US State Department, the United States, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates denounced what they described as Iran’s “reckless” targeting of sovereign territories.
“The United States, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates strongly condemn the Islamic Republic of Iran’s indiscriminate and reckless missile and drone attacks against sovereign territories across the region, including Bahrain, Iraq — including the Iraqi Kurdistan Region — Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. These unjustified strikes targeted sovereign territory, endangered civilian populations, and damaged civilian infrastructure,” the statement said.The statement comes amid an escalating military campaign in which the United States and Israel have continued to strike targets across Iran. The joint offensive has focused on ballistic missile infrastructure and naval assets, days after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed along with several senior officials.Airstrikes triggered explosions across parts of Iran, with blasts shaking buildings and thick plumes of smoke rising over Tehran. Iranian authorities say more than 200 people have been killed since the campaign began.Tehran has responded with retaliatory missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and US military facilities in the Gulf. Iranian attacks have also reached major regional cities, including the Saudi capital Riyadh and Dubai, one of the world’s leading business hubs.US President Donald Trump signalled that the military operation would continue. In a video message posted Sunday, he described the campaign in Iran as “one of the most complex, most overwhelming military offensives the world has ever seen” and said strikes would go on until “all of our objectives” were achieved.The conflict has also disrupted air travel across the Gulf, with airlines extending flight suspensions as the exchange of strikes entered a second day. Emirates suspended flight movements indefinitely, while Etihad Airways extended cancellations until early Monday morning. Qatar Airways said its operations remained halted and that a further update would be issued later in the day.Several airports in the region have been caught in the crossfire. Abu Dhabi Airport reported one fatality and multiple injuries after an Iranian drone was intercepted over the emirate overnight. Airports in Dubai, Bahrain and Kuwait also reported strikes or related disruptions as tensions continued to rise.
