Intercepted strike: blasts echo across Dubai and Manama amid widening Iran conflict

DUBAI/MANAMA, March 7 — Explosions were heard in Dubai and Manama early on Saturday as Iran’s retaliatory attacks across the Gulf entered their second week, with authorities in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain reporting intercepted projectiles and urging residents to remain calm.

Journalists from Agence France-Presse said two blasts were heard in Dubai and one in Manama, where warning sirens were activated. Officials said the incidents appeared linked to the regional escalation following military strikes involving Iran, Israel and the United States.Authorities report interceptionBahrain’s interior ministry urged citizens and residents to move to the nearest safe location while maintaining calm. The ministry posted the advisory on social media platform X shortly after the explosions were heard.

In Dubai, the Dubai Media Office said a minor incident caused by debris from a successful interception had been contained and that no injuries had been reported.Officials also rejected online reports suggesting damage at Dubai International Airport, stating that no such incident had occurred.Strikes intensify across regionThe explosions came as the Israeli military announced it had launched a “broad-scale wave of strikes” on government targets in Tehran. Iran’s state broadcaster reported an explosion in the western part of the capital but did not provide additional details.The United States Central Command said more than 3,000 Iranian targets had been struck over the past week, including facilities associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as well as missile sites, air defense systems, naval vessels and command centers.Diplomatic calls amid widening conflict.The renewed strikes followed Israeli attacks on locations in Beirut and Baalbek in Lebanon, areas where the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah maintains influence.

Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, called for “serious diplomatic negotiations,” warning that the conflict risked spiraling beyond control.Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin voiced support for an immediate ceasefire during a call with Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian, according to the Kremlin.U.S. President Donald Trump has rejected renewed negotiations with Tehran, writing on social media that any agreement would require Iran’s “unconditional surrender.”