Iranian missile hits military base housing UK, US and Australian troops
An Iranian missile has hit the Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, which is home to US, UK and Australian troops.
New attacks were reported in multiple Gulf countries early today, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said a projectile caused a small fire at its base in the UAE near Dubai, but caused no injuries.
It hasn’t been confirmed if the attack was targeting the base, but Albanese added: ‘The Iranian regime is engaging in random attacks right across the region. We know that is the case.’
Explosions were heard near the military base, which is used by Western nations as a transit hub within the region.
The missile strike, which hit a road right outside the base, caused ‘minor damage’ after a fire broke out near an accommodation block and medical centre.
Australia’s Defence Department said in a statement: ‘Defence’s focus is on ensuring the safety and security of our people and we will continue to revise force protection measures as the situation in the Middle East evolves.’
Missile alerts sounded again later in Dubai as the sound of interceptors exploding overhead boomed across the city-state.
Today, Saudi Arabia also shot down a ballistic missile targeting the Prince Sultan air base, which hosts American forces and aircraft, and a drone targeting Riyadh’s diplomatic quarter, which houses the US embassy and other foreign missions.
Iran has vowed to continue to throttle shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which leads from the Persian Gulf to the open sea.
Since the conflict started, a few ships have got through with their cargoes, some of which were Iranian, but also from India, Turkey and elsewhere.
Iran says that the waterway is open, just not to the US or many of its allies.
Since the United States and Israel attacked Iran to start the war on February 28, Iran has been targeting the energy infrastructure of its Gulf Arab neighbours.
They’re also targeting military bases, as part of a strategy to drive up oil prices and put pressure on Washington to back down.
Iran has shown no sign of relenting in its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping lane through which a fifth of the world’s oil transits, giving rise to growing concerns of a global energy crisis.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.