Middle East
Emergency personnel work to extinguish a fire in a building after an Iranian strike in the capital Manama on February 28, 2026. File photo: AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Bahrain’s Ministry of Health reported that a drone attack targeting the island of Sitra early Monday injured 32 civilians, including four in critical condition, as the region continues to reel from escalating tensions.
The ministry described the assault as “heinous,” noting that all of the injured are Bahraini citizens and are receiving treatment according to established medical protocols.
"The injuries include a 17-year-old girl who sustained severe head and eye injuries, and two children, aged seven and eight, who suffered serious injuries to their lower limbs," the ministry said, adding that "the youngest victim is a two-month-old infant."
The Iranian attacks came hours after Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56-year-old son of slain Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, was on Sunday named Iran’s new supreme leader.
The naming of Mojtaba Khamenei comes a little over a week after the US and Israel on February 28 launched a joint aerial campaign against Iran, killing several of the country’s top leaders and commanders, including long-time supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (1939 - 2026).
Several explosions were also heard Monday in Doha, AFP reported, while Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait all confirmed new attacks.
New attacks were also reported near Erbil International Airport, all of which were intercepted.
Video shows the moment an air defense system intercepted a suspected drone attack targeting Erbil International Airport early Monday. pic.twitter.com/6dVVHbohe9
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) March 9, 2026
Additionally, video shared with Rudaw shows an early Monday strike targeting Baghdad International Airport, which houses the Victoria Base - formerly used to host US troops - though the extent of the damage remains unclear.
Video submitted to Rudaw shows an early Monday attack targeting Baghdad International Airport, which houses the Victoria Base - previously used to host US troops - though the extent of the damage remains unclear. pic.twitter.com/yODLCNnvEb
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) March 9, 2026
Qatar’s defence ministry said its forces had intercepted a missile attack, while Saudi Arabia reported destroying two waves of drones headed toward its Shaybah oil field.
The UAE’s National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority said air defences responded to “a missile threat,” and Kuwait announced another missile and drone attack on Monday, with its defence ministry confirming efforts to intercept the strikes.
For its part, the Israeli military said early Monday it launched a new wave of strikes on Iran’s infrastructure in the country’s central regions.
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