Ft live: Middle East crisis deepens as Kuwait downs US F15s, airports hit and regional attacks spread
This ft update covers a fast-moving regional escalation: Kuwait’s air defences mistakenly shot down three US F15 fighter jets, airport incidents in the UAE left one dead and multiple injured, and a wave of missile and drone attacks has struck Gulf states, Lebanon and Iran. These developments threaten wider instability across the region.
Ft: Kuwaiti shootdown and the status of US aircrews
Kuwait air defences mistakenly shot down three US F15 fighter jets that were flying in Iran-related operations, Centcom said earlier today. All six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered and are in stable condition. The incident adds a dangerous new layer to the conflict already spreading through multiple countries in the region.
Regional pattern: missile and drone attacks across Gulf states and Lebanon
A joint statement from Gulf states and the US strongly condemned Iran’s “indiscriminate and reckless missile and drone attacks, ” warning they threaten regional stability. That statement noted attacks have taken place in Bahrain, Iraq (including the Kurdistan Region of Iraq), Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Loud blasts were reported in Dubai and Samha in the UAE, and in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Saudi Arabia shut its biggest refinery after drone strikes caused a fire there.
Air and ground confrontations: new fronts and casualties
A major new front in the war, started by Israel and the US on Saturday, opened on Monday when Hezbollah launched missiles and drones toward Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, over the weekend. Israeli airstrikes on Beirut and southern Lebanon on Monday have killed at least 31 people and injured 149, the Lebanese health ministry said. The Iranian Red Crescent Society said at least 555 people have been killed in Iran by Israel-US attacks across 131 cities since Saturday.
UAE airports struck: fatality at Abu Dhabi and damage in Dubai
Flights to and from the UAE, Qatar, Israel and Bahrain are among those cancelled as Trump’s war with Iran sparks tourist safety fears. One person has died and seven have been injured after an "incident" at Abu Dhabi's Zayed airport, while four were hurt at Dubai International — reportedly due to an overnight Iranian attack. A statement from Abu Dhabi Airports said the incident resulted in one fatality involving an Asian national and seven injuries, declined to give a cause and urged against "circulating rumours. "
The Dubai incident left four staff with injuries when a concourse sustained "minor damage, " the city's media office said. Aviation a terminal had been damaged during an overnight Iranian attack. Flights from both airports were grounded on Saturday as a precaution and are expected to remain disrupted on Sunday.
Collateral damage in cities and infrastructure concerns
There was a minor fire on the facade of the Burj al Arab hotel due to a drone interception; Civil Defence teams responded immediately and brought that incident under control with no injuries reported. Another luxury hotel was damaged by fire earlier on Saturday, believed to have been caused by remnants from a falling missile. The wider pattern of strikes has heightened fears over critical infrastructure, including civil nuclear power stations.
Warnings, military posture and evacuation planning
Rafael Grossi, the director general of the IAEA UN nuclear inspectorate, warned that mass evacuation of cities across the Middle East may be necessary if civil nuclear power stations are attacked leading to radiological release. Grossi said there was no indication that any of Iran’s nuclear installations have been damaged or hit after the recent US and Israeli strikes.
