Several Gulf States said Monday they had intercepted hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones over the past 24 hours as regional tensions escalated in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes on Tehran.
Bahrain's National Communications Center said its air defenses intercepted 70 missiles and 59 drones targeting the kingdom.
Qatar said it shot down two Iranian Su-24 fighter jet and intercepted seven ballistic missiles and five drones.
The UAE Ministry of Defense announced that it had intercepted nine ballistic missiles, six cruise missiles and 148 drones.
Since the beginning of Iran's retaliationThe United Arab Emirates said it detected 174 ballistic missiles launched towards the country, destroying 161 while 13 fell into the sea. Officials also said 689 Iranian drones were detected, of which 645 were intercepted and 44 fell on the country's territory.
On Sunday, the United Arab Emirates announced the closure of its embassy in Tehran and the withdrawal of its ambassador and diplomatic staff in response to the strikes.
Kuwait said its air defenses had intercepted and destroyed 97 ballistic missiles and 283 drones since the attacks began, according to Kuwait's official news agency.
Saudi ArabiaThe Energy Ministry said on Monday that two drones had been intercepted near the Ras Tanura oil refinery, with debris causing minor damage, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency.
In response to these large-scale attacks, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and the United States issued a joint statement condemning Iran's “indiscriminate and reckless” missile and drone strikes in the region.
Countries stated that strikes put civilians at riskdamaged infrastructure and violated the sovereignty of several states.
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“Targeting civilians and countries not engaged in hostilities is reckless and destabilizing behavior,” the statement read in part. “We are united in defending our citizens, our sovereignty and our territory, and reaffirm our right to self-defense in the face of these attacks. We remain committed to regional security and welcome the effective cooperation on air and missile defense that has prevented much greater loss of life and destruction.”
The Jordanian army said it intercepted 49 Iranian projectiles on Saturday, including 13 ballistic missiles, according to the Jordanian media Roya News.
