For a second day, Iran carried out a series of drone and missile strikes across the Gulf as the U.S. and Israel continue to target Iran.
Imtiaz Tyab reports from the Gulf of Oman: Air-raid sirens sounded in parts of Israel as Tehran vowed retaliation following recent escalations. Israel said its Iron Dome intercepted dozens of incoming missiles, though not all were stopped.
The strikes have struck at countries across the Gulf region. Thick plumes of smoke were seen over Dubai, and the skies above Doha, Qatar, were choked with smoke. Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman were also hit; tankers were struck just off Oman’s shore in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route through which one-fifth of the world’s oil passes.
In total, dozens were injured and at least four people killed in the attacks that have disrupted flights and commerce throughout the region. The strikes targeted a group of Gulf countries that host large U.S. military bases, including the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, which was struck on Saturday.
Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, warned the country’s armed forces would “crush the U.S. bases with force.” While many Iranian drones and missiles have been intercepted and most Gulf nations have not returned fire, tensions remain high and analysts warn the situation could escalate.
Fears of a wider, sustained conflict have risen following the reported killing of the supreme leader. Demonstrations and unrest have spread beyond the Gulf: pro-regime protesters in Karachi, Pakistan, attempted to storm the U.S. consulate, and at least 20 people were killed. Protests also erupted in Baghdad, Iraq, where crowds pushed toward the Green Zone and security forces used water cannons near the American embassy.
Sources in the region say Iran’s apparent strategy of striking Gulf countries may be a risky effort to shorten the wider conflict by pressuring Arab governments to push the U.S. and Israel to end their campaign. So far, that gambit has not achieved that outcome. Imtiaz Tyab for CBS News in Oman.