Iranian projectiles continue to strike Gulf countries’ infrastructure
8 March 2026: 23 Marina buildings damaged due to drone debris at Dubai Marina
Emma Graham, CNBC
Gulf states reported further damage to infrastructure over the weekend as Iran continued to attack its regional allies in retaliation for ongoing attacks by US and Israeli forces.
The United Arab Emirates said they were “dealing with missile and drone threats from Iran.”
“UAE air defenses are currently responding to missile and drone threats from Iran,” the country’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement. he said. to mail In X.
He said his defenses were intercepting ballistic missiles, while warplanes were dealing with drones and “stray munitions.”
Alarms went off in Dubai and Abu Dhabi on Saturday evening warning residents to “immediately seek safety” due to missile threats, and the CNBC team confirmed hearing a loud explosion.
A high-rise building called 23 Marina in Dubai’s Marina district was hit by falling debris. By the way In a statement to the Dubai Media Office, no one was injured but officials were injured. to approve “Aerial strike debris fell on a vehicle in the Al Barsha area, resulting in the death of a Pakistani driver.”
Also on Saturday, passengers waiting for flights at Dubai International Airport were taken into the train tunnels. Iran announced that it hit an air base in the UAE.
Since the war began on February 28, Iran has targeted various radar and air defense systems in the Middle East (Qatar, UAE, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia) in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks. The Wall Street Journal reportedHe cites US officials, military analysts and commercially available satellite imagery.
Bahrain said a drone strike hit its water purification plant on Sunday.
“Iranian aggression indiscriminately attacked civilian targets and caused material damage to the water purification plant following a drone strike,” Bahrain’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said. in question In a post on X.
The country also said “blatant Iranian aggression” damaged a university building in Muharraq district, and three people were injured when missile parts fell.
Kuwait said two fuel depots were located elsewhere. international airport It was shot down by drones, causing a “massive fire” in one of them.
The country’s Public Social Security Institution said its headquarters was targeted, causing “material damage” to the building.
Meanwhile, Israeli and US attacks on Iran continued throughout the weekend.
Israel said it hit several fuel storage complexes belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
“The attack significantly deepens the damage to the military infrastructure of the Iranian terrorist regime,” the Israel Defense Forces said. to mail X Early on Sunday.
Looking for a new Iranian leader
The opening salvos of the war culminated in the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last week.
Iranian state media reported on Saturday that two influential Iranian clerics called for the rapid election of a new religious leader.
One of the clerics, grand ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, who has a large following for his religious decisions, said an appointment was quickly needed to “help better organize the country’s affairs”, state media reported.
The calls show that at least some in the religious community are uneasy about leaving a three-person council in office, even temporarily, within constitutional rules following the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The IDF said in a statement on Sunday that it would “pursue any successor and anyone who wishes to appoint a successor.”
In its statement, the IDF said, “We warn everyone who is considering attending the successor selection meeting that we will not hesitate to target you as well. This is a warning!” he said. to mail In Persian X.
Trump argued that the United States should have a role in choosing the new leader, but Iran rejected this request.
