A luxury hotel in Dubai was hit as Iran launched strikes across the region in retaliation for a “massive” and ongoing attack against it by the US and Israel.
Video verified by the BBC shows a fire raging at Fairmont The Palm Hotel on Saturday in the United Arab Emirates’ largest city. Thick black smoke rises into the sky.
Local officials also said four people were injured in a blaze at a building in the Palm Jumeirah area. They gave no further details.
In the early hours of Sunday, the Dubai Media Office said four people were wounded in an “incident” at Dubai International Airport – a major transport hub. The airport’s concourse had “minor damage”, the office added without elaborating.
Elsewhere in the region, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait – all home to US military bases – said they had intercepted missiles fired towards them.
Huge plumes of black smoke were seen rising from an area near the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Manama, Bahrain. The extent of any damage is unclear and the US has not commented.
In Doha, Qatar’s defence ministry said it had intercepted several missiles apparently targeting the al-Udeid air base, the largest US base in the region.
Another verified video filmed from a building opposite the Dubai hotel shows the moment of impact followed by an explosion, as a large orange fireball erupts and the person filming appears to fall to the ground.
Large smoke plumes could be seen rising above the five-star luxury hotel as emergency services attended the scene.
Iranian media earlier said that it had launched an attack on Dubai, although it is not clear what they are targeting.
A British woman told the BBC that she was at the Dubai Marina, just off Jumeirah Beach, when the strikes hit on Saturday.
She heard a “loud bang” and saw a “big puff of black smoke” before a “flurry of missiles were intercepted” above her for around five minutes.
She added that she feels “very on edge” but had not received an official alert.
The UAE ministry of defence said in a statement on X that it intercepted a number of drones and missiles, and called the Iranian strikes a “blatant violation of national sovereignty and international law”.
The US has about 13 military bases across the Middle East, with 30,000 to 40,000 troops normally deployed between them.
Authorities in Bahrain confirmed the attack on the US naval base, known officially as Naval Support Activity Bahrain. It is the home port for ships including anti-mine vessels and logistical support ships, though it is unclear if any were present.
Video from Bahrain’s capital, Manama, shows the moment a drone hits a tower block, exploding into a brilliant yellow fireball.
Bahrain’s Ministry of Interiors later said that three buildings in Manama and Muharraq were hit by “drone attacks and falling debris from an intercepted missile.”
They said that officials were assessing damage at two of the sites, and that fires at a third building were now under control.
Explosions were heard in Kuwait, and the local news agency Kuna said that a drone targeting the international airport caused “minor injuries to several employees” with “limited” damage to a terminal.
In Doha, Qatar, explosions were seen apparently targeting the al Udeid air base, the largest American military base in the region.
Footage also showed dozens of people fleeing from a falling missile in a residential area.
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it condemned the “targeting of Qatari territory with Iranian ballistic missiles”, which it said was “a flagrant violation of its national sovereignty” and an “unacceptable escalation”.
US air defences shot down a drone over a US military base near Erbil, Iraq, the Reuters news agency reports.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement it was targeting US bases and assets as part of operation “Truthful Promise 4”, in retaliation for the attack on Iran launched by the US and Israel on Saturday morning.
That attack – launched at approximately 09:30 Tehran time (06:00 GMT) – has so far targeted areas linked to the Iranian leadership, with US President Donald Trump encouraging the Iranian people to rise up against the regime.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said they have received reports that vessels had had been warned that the Hormuz Strait will be shut off to shipping.
The strait is considered to be one of the world’s most significant maritime trade routes and a crucial chokepoint for oil transit. Approximately one fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes through it.
Blocking it could have profound consequences for the global economy, disrupting international trade and ratcheting up oil prices.
