Tehran / Middle East — March 1, 2026 — Following a large-scale military strike by the United States and Israel against key targets in Iran, Tehran launched extensive retaliatory attacks involving ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) directed at Israel and U.S. military bases across the Middle East.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) publicly stated that it fired what it described as approximately 1,200 missiles and drones in a coordinated counter-offensive, targeting Israeli military facilities as well as American bases located in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf states.

The IRGC described the operation as the most intense offensive in its history, signaling a major escalation in the region’s already volatile security landscape. Iranian authorities insisted the strikes were justified as a response to the joint U.S.–Israeli air campaign, which struck deep into Iranian territory days earlier.

Defense officials in the Gulf confirmed multiple interceptions of ballistic missiles and drones by regional air defense systems, particularly in the UAE and Qatar, where Patriot batteries and other integrated defenses were reported to have engaged incoming threats.

While casualty reports remain fragmented, explosions were heard in several locations across the region, and sirens sounded in Bahrain as residents sought shelter from incoming projectiles. U.S. and allied military officials have not yet publicly confirmed the full extent of damage or losses at their bases, and international observers continue to assess the unfolding situation.

This wave of reprisals further complicates an already tense standoff in the Middle East, raising fears of a broader conflict that could draw in neighboring states and global powers. Diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions have been called for by numerous countries, even as Tehran and its adversaries appear locked in a dangerous cycle of military escalation.