By Al-Fassel | 2026-07-20

The Iranian regime has widened its military campaign across the Gulf, launching missile and drone attacks against six sovereign nations in a single day.

Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan and United Arab Emirates all reported incoming fire on July 12, despite none of them being parties to the conflict.

Qatar's Interior Ministry said three people, including a child, were wounded as a result of falling shrapnel from the interception of Iranian attacks.

Kuwait's Defense Ministry said an offshore drilling platform of the Kuwait Oil Company was damaged, with one worker wounded.

Missile alerts sounded in Bahrain and the US embassy urging people to seek cover immediately and shelter in place.

Explosions were also heard in the UAE as interceptions sent debris falling over populated areas, forcing residents into precaution mode.

Human Rights Watch has separately documented Iranian strikes hitting residential buildings, hotels, civilian airports and embassies across Gulf states since late February.

Indiscriminate fire

International humanitarian law requires warring parties to distinguish between military objectives and civilian populations at every stage of an attack.

The Iranian regime said strikes hit Jordan's fuel depot, Bahrain's helicopter facility, Kuwait's fuel tanks and a Patriot system.

However, Human Rights Watch (HRW) verified footage showing damage to homes, hotels and financial centers.

The HRW also heard from families of migrant workers killed in Bahrain and the UAE.

A separate strike in Saudi Arabia's Al-Kharj governorate killed an Indian and a Bangladeshi worker after a projectile fell in a residential area.

These outcomes are not isolated accidents, they reflect a pattern of strikes landing near ports, refineries and homes.

Neutrality betrayed

Qatar has served as a key mediator in ceasefire talks, while Oman has long hosted back channel diplomacy between the regime and the United States.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it destroyed a jet maintenance center and command facility in Qatar, the first strikes on the mediator since April.

Saudi Arabia condemned what it called repeated Iranian violations of the sovereignty of neighboring states, warning the strikes undermine efforts to restore regional stability.

Qatar's foreign ministry called the barrage "a dangerous escalation," one that endangers civilians with no stake in the underlying conflict.

Iran's president apologized to neighboring countries on March 7, then warned that the Iranian regime "will be forced to respond" if their territory is used against it.