Iran targets Gulf nations with missiles, drones as oil prices soar

Bahrain tells residents to stay inside after an attack on fuel tanks while Saudi Arabia reports shooting down drones headed towards an oilfield.Published On 12 Mar 2026Iran has launched a new wave of drone and missile attacks on Gulf countries on the 13th day of the United States-Israel war on Tehran, with Bahrain reporting strikes on fuel tanks amid surging oil prices.Bahrain told residents on Thursday morning to stay inside and close windows after the attack in Muharraq Governorate. The country hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and has been consistently targeted amid the ongoing war.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Who bombed the Iranian girls’ school, killing more than 170? What we knowlist 2 of 3How is feminism being used to justify war in Iran?list 3 of 3UN Security Council adopts resolution condemning Iran’s attacks in the Gulfend of listElsewhere, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence said it intercepted drones headed towards the Shaybah oilfield and the embassies district. It said it had intercepted seven drones heading to the oilfield on Wednesday.Saudi Arabia’s eastern neighbour Kuwait also reported attacks on its territory, saying two people were wounded by a “hostile drone” that hit a residential building. The attack also caused material damage, the Defence Ministry added.The United Arab Emirates said its air defence was responding to a missile threat.Meanwhile, the United Kingdom’s Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) says there had been an attack on a container ship some 35 nautical miles (about 65km) north of Jebel Ali in the UAE.In Jordan, our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic say sirens have been ringing in all cities of the country.The US-Israel war on Iran ⁠has so far killed about 2,000 people and thrown global energy markets and transport into chaos.Brent crude prices were hovering at about $100 a barrel as of 2:00 GMT on Thursday, up more than 38 percent compared with before the start of the war.