Terrifying footage has captured the moment people fled in panic after missile debris smashed into a busy street in Qatar, following Iran’s vow to retaliate against Donald Trump’s “Epic Fury” military blitz.
The heart-stopping video shows chunks of rubble plunging from the sky into a packed area, sending terrified onlookers running for their lives as debris crashes to the ground. As the wreckage hits the street, a fiery explosion erupts and a thick cloud of black smoke billows into the air. The strike is one of many in a rapidly escalating barrage after Iran warned that it “has no red lines” in responding to the US-Israeli assault.
Another major blast rocked a US military base in Bahrain, with dramatic footage showing a huge plume of smoke rising from the site as Iranian attacks targeted US bases across Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain. The Middle East was plunged into chaos after the US and Israel launched “Operation Epic Fury” against Iran earlier in the day.
Explosions were also reported at a US naval base in Bahrain after Iran retaliated by firing missiles following the US-Israeli strikes. Smoke was seen rising from a base near the Juffair housing area, with Bahrain confirming that the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters had been targeted.
A woman living near the US base told The Sun her home was rocked by the blast. “My entire apartment was shaken and the windows shattered when the missile hit,” she said. “I know that all US military bases in Bahrain were emptied the day before, so there was no military personnel there. But no one had told us to evacuate. My family has now left the neighbourhood. People across Bahrain, because of how small the country is, heard the blast and the fighter jets. People living as far as 20–30 miles away from the base. I hope it is over for now.”
In Iraq, rockets struck US forces near Erbil Airport, according to security officials, while Jordan’s army said it had intercepted two ballistic missiles aimed at the country. Qatar reportedly intercepted two Iranian missiles and repelled two further waves of attacks.
In the UAE, one person was killed after Emirati forces intercepted Iranian missiles, according to state media. Witnesses reported hearing a loud bang in Abu Dhabi, after which the UAE confirmed it had closed its airspace.
Explosions were also reported in Dubai, including near the marina popular with tourists, while air-raid sirens sounded in Kuwait. Terrified tourists in Dubai were seen running for cover after missiles were intercepted above the city.
An 11-second video circulating online shows two expanding clouds appearing in the clear blue sky above the UAE. Holidaymakers had been relaxing by a swimming pool when drones were shot down overhead.
In the clip, which has racked up more than half a million views, a woman can be heard saying, “Oh my god,” as she swings the camera from the pool back to the sky where two plumes of smoke are visible. “They are bombing it,” she adds.
Earlier, Donald Trump condemned Iran’s “vicious” leadership and its 47-year “campaign of bloodshed and mass murder,” vowing to “raze” the country’s missile industry “to the ground.” British tourist Will Bailey said he woke up in Dubai on his first morning of his holiday to what he described as “what seems like World War Three.”
“Apparently, missiles have just landed in Abu Dhabi, which is about an hour drive from Dubai,” he said in a TikTok video. “I was about to go to a beach club and have a nice Saturday afternoon.” As he listened to a radio announcement saying the British embassy was aware of strikes over the UAE, his friend remarked, “We need to get a bottle show, it could be our last one.”
“Go out with a bang literally,” Will replied, nervously biting his nails as the broadcast confirmed a second wave of missiles had been intercepted. “What is happening?” he exclaimed after reports emerged of a fatality in Abu Dhabi. “Someone’s died in Abu Dhabi,” he told his friend. “The phone is shaking as I’m holding my phone up… s**t.”
In separate footage shared by @iknowuea, loud booming sounds can be heard as a white plume of smoke forms in the sky after another interception. Another video filmed outside a BrewDog venue appears to show a second missile being destroyed mid-air.
“F****ng close,” a British voice says in one clip, as another person adds, “That’s the second one.” In another video, a man points his camera at a white streak across the sky and says, “That’s three missiles, over our heads.” One voice replies, “Isn’t that cool?” before another reacts, “What the f**k.”
British influencer Leah Mai, who moved from London to Dubai, posted a short video of the sky after an interception. “Every so often, you get reminded that you live in the Middle East. A place where bombs do actually go off. Mad,” she wrote.
Jamie Smith, who had been drinking by a hotel pool, said he heard “three loud bangs.” “Hotel is delivering complementary ice lollies like all is good,” he added. “Well the pool and the adjoining pub are very quiet for a Saturday.”
Dennis, from London, filmed himself lying on a beach as Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Murder On The Dancefloor played in the background. “Casually at the beach in Dubai whilst Iran just tried bombing the UAE 45 minutes ago,” he wrote.
Eighteen-year-old influencer Julis shared footage of herself working on a laptop in a café shortly after saying she had been “hear[ing] explosions in Dubai.” “Out of interest, tell me your last words,” she added.
Blasts were also heard in northern Israel after Israeli strikes hit near Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s office in Tehran. Iran vowed revenge, and the Israel Defense Forces confirmed a barrage of missiles fired from Iran toward Israel.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it had launched a “first wave” of drones and missiles. “We know the United States as the main factor in today’s aggression, and the Zionist regime is the sponsor of this aggression,” it said. “We consider all American bases, resources, and interests in the region, space, and land as the legitimate target of the armed forces.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Iran as an “existential threat” and thanked Trump. “My brothers and sisters, citizens of Israel, a short time ago, Israel and the United States embarked on an operation to remove the existential threat posed by the terrorist regime in Iran,” he said. “I thank our great friend, President Donald Trump, for his historic leadership.”
Air-raid sirens rang out across Tel Aviv, with residents ordered to take shelter. An IDF spokesperson said defensive systems were operating to intercept the missiles. “The public is asked to a
