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Explosions were reportedly heard across some regions in the Middle East on Saturday morning, a few hours after the United States and Israel launched a strike on Iran in retaliation.
Iran reportedly fired missiles and drones at US bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the UAE in retaliation. Many Gulf countries are closing their airspace, grounding hundreds of flights worldwide.
AFP reported that its correspondents in Manama heard a new loud explosion and several blasts on Saturday morning after a US base in Bahrain’s capital came under a missile attack as Iran retaliates for US and Israeli strikes.
Correspondents in the Saudi capital also revealed they heard loud explosions on Saturday, after Qatar and a US base in Bahrain were struck. Two correspondents in Riyadh said they heard a loud bang and several explosions after Iran vowed retaliation following US and Israeli attacks.
In Israel’s northern and central regions, sirens sounded on Saturday morning as heavy rocket barrages were fired from Iran. The Jerusalem Post reported that a missile impacted in northern Israel.
News Central earlier reported that Israel launched a daylight strike on Saturday targeting Tehran, the capital of Iran, with plumes of smoke seen rising from the city’s downtown area. The attack reportedly occurred near offices associated with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Saturday’s strike is a joint operation by the US and Israel, who have held a series of talks before launching it.
In US President Donald Trump’s speech, he said the objective of the strike on Iran is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people.
“Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas, and our allies throughout the world,” said Trump.
“For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted ‘Death to America’ and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder, targeting the United States, our troops, and the innocent people in many, many countries.”
