The US-Israel war with Iran has entered its third week, with Gulf states bearing the brunt of Tehran's retaliatory strikes.
Saudi Arabia's air defences intercepted at least 64 drones in a 12-hour period, according to authorities. A series of statements issued early on Monday morning by the Ministry of Defence indicate that drones were launched towards the kingdom at least once an hour.
A Palestinian resident was killed in Abu Dhabi after a missile attack on the UAE capital, the government media office said. It came after a fire broke out at Dubai International Airport “resulting from impact to one of the fuel tanks”, in what Dubai authorities described as “a drone-related incident”. Authorities also said a fire broke out at Fujairah Oil Industry Zone after it was targeted in a drone attack.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a phone call on Sunday to address the Iranian attacks on regional countries, which represent a violation of their sovereignty, Wam reported.
Both sides stressed the need for an immediate halt to the military escalation between the US and Iran, which poses a threat to stability and security in the region and the world at large.
Yet regional calls for de-escalation have largely gone unanswered.
Five missiles struck Baghdad International Airport on Sunday, injuring five people, according to a military spokesman. A separate attack was also carried out on a water desalination station near the Martyr Alaa Air Base and Baghdad's Karkh Prison.
Security forces launched search operations that led to the seizure of the rocket launch platform hidden inside a vehicle in the Al Ridwaniyah area west of Baghdad, a security official said.
Three drones also struck Kuwait International Airport, resulting in damage to the radar system but no casualties, while three other drones fell outside the threat area and posed no danger, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defence said on Sunday.
Kuwait’s air defence system destroyed eight of 14 drones that breached the country's airspace over a 24-hour period, the ministry said.
Iranian officials have insisted that they are only striking US-linked targets in the Middle East, a claim rejected by Tehran's neighbours.
UAE Minister of State for International Co-operation Reem Al Hashimy has described Iran's attacks as “almost unhinged”.
In an interview with ABC News, she said: “It's been pretty unprecedented, what's happened, and almost unhinged, I would say, to have Iran lash out at the very people who've been calling for de-escalation, who've been calling for this war to never actually even start, which has really taken us by surprise.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that no specific initiative has been proposed to halt the war with the US and Israel, but that “we welcome any regional initiative that leads to a just end” to the conflict.
At least 1,300 people have been killed in US-Israeli strikes on Tehran.
“The end of the war depends on guaranteeing that it will not be repeated and on paying compensation,” Mr Araghchi was quoted as saying on his Telegram channel. He said Iran was in communication with various Gulf states.
Mr Araghchi also denied claims by US President Donald Trump that Tehran is seeking negotiations. “We don't see any reason why we should talk with Americans because we were talking with them when they decided to attack us,” he told CBS's Face the Nation.
“We never asked for ceasefire and we have never asked even for negotiation. We are ready to defend ourselves as long as it takes.”
The US and Israel launched a war on Iran on February 28, after several rounds of US-Iranian nuclear talks that were making “significant progress”, according to Oman, which was mediating negotiations.
This was the second time that surprise strikes on Tehran derailed nuclear negotiations, after the 12-day Iran-Israel war in June.
