Fresh wave of explosions heard in Dubai as Iran continues assaults on the Gulf

On Mar 1, 2026

A fresh wave of explosions has been heard in Dubai for a second day as Iran continues its strikes on the Gulf in response to US and Israeli attacks.

Witnesses said that blasts had been heard in Dubai and the Qatari capital Doha on Sunday, with authorities saying the sounds were the result of successful interception operations.

Thick black plumes of smoke continued to rise from the Jebel Ali port area, where one of the berths caught fire earlier on Sunday because of debris from an aerial interception of a missile.

Two people were also injured in Dubai after shrapnel from drones fell on two houses when they were intercepted, a Dubai Media Office statement said.

A plume of smoke rises from the port of Jebel Ali following a reported Iranian strike in Dubai on March 1, 2026. (AFP via Getty Images)

Iran has said that it would target US bases in the region, but it has hit a range of other targets across Gulf cities.

Dubai’s international airport, its landmark Burj Al Arab hotel, and man-made Palm Jumeirah Island have all suffered damage.

The Dubai Media Office said in a statement on Sunday morning: “Authorities confirmed that debris from drones intercepted by air defences fell in the courtyards of two homes in Dubai, resulting in two injuries.

This video grab taken from UGC images posted on social media on February 28, 2026, shows smoke and flames rising from Dubai’s landmark The Palm archipelago, as Iran carried out retaliatory strikes in the Gulf following US and Israeli attacks. (UGC/ANONYMOUS/AFP via Getty Imag)

“The injured have received the necessary medical care. Authorities also clarified that the sounds heard across the emirate were the result of successful interception operations”.

Debris from a drone ignited a fire at Dubai’s iconic Burj Al Arab hotel on Saturday. Authorities said the fire had been limited to the hotel’s outer facade and that no injuries were reported.

Four people were injured after an incident at Dubai International Airport and the terminals were cleared of passengers.

A yacht sails past a plume of smoke rising from the port of Jebel Ali following a reported Iranian strike in Dubai on March 1, 2026. (AFP via Getty Images)

UK ambassador to the UAE, Edward Hobart, told British nationals to shelter in place on Sunday. In a video posted to social media on Sunday morning, he acknowledged: “I know many of you will have had disturbed nights, woken up to noises and alerts. It’s been a really difficult 24 hours. There’s been hundred of missile and drone attacks over Abu Dhabi and Dubai which have been intercepted”.

Mr Hobart added that he was very grateful for the “swift actions” of the UAE defence forces.

Motorists drive past a plume of smoke rising from a reported Iranian strike in the industrial district of Doha on March 1, 2026. (AFP via Getty Images)

Israel said that it had launched another wave of attacks on Iran on Sunday, while US president Donald Trump warned of consequences for retaliation.

Mr Trump warned in a post on Truth Social that Iran “better not” attack further on Sunday, saying: “If they do, we will hit them with a force that has never been seen before!”

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an air strike yesterday, Iranian state media confirmed. Iran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, said a temporary leadership council would be set up.

Air raid sirens sounded repeatedly across Israel early on Sunday, with a series of explosions heard in Tel Aviv as Israel’s sophisticated air defence system sought to intercept the latest Iranian offensive.

Reporting contributed from Reuters.

Source: independent.co.uk