Abu dhabi: The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have announced that their air defense systems intercepted a significant number of Iranian drones and ballistic missiles since the start of Iran's recent attacks. The UAE Defense Ministry reported that it detected 541 drones, successfully destroying 506 of them, while 35 drones fell within the country. Additionally, 165 Iranian ballistic missiles were tracked, with 152 intercepted and 13 falling into the sea.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Bahrain Defense Force stated that its air defense systems effectively countered 61 missiles and 34 drones that targeted the kingdom. The escalation in regional tensions began Saturday following an attack by the US and Israel on Iran, which resulted in the deaths of several prominent Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran responded with a series of drone and missile strikes aimed at Israel, US assets, and several Gulf nations. The aggressive exchanges have heightened concerns over security and stability in the region, prompting swift defensive actions by neighboring countries to protect their territories.