Iran on Sunday fired missiles at targets in Israel and Gulf Arab states after vowing massive retaliation for the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by the United States and Israel, prompting US President Donald Trump to threaten Tehran against further escalation.

Iran acknowledged 86-year-old Khamenei’s death in the joint Israeli-American airstrike on Saturday at his Tehran office, which has thrown the future of the Islamic Republic into question and raised the risk of regional instability.

Iran's armed forces chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi, along with other senior generals, were also killed in US and Israeli strikes on the country, state TV reported.

State TV listed the name of Mousavi along with defence minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, Revolutionary Guards chief Mohammad Pakpour and head of the defence council Ali Shamkhani as among those killed during Saturday's strikes.

On Sunday, air raid sirens sounded and explosions were heard over Jerusalem after the Israeli military said it had detected missiles launched from Iran towards Israel.

"Sirens were sounded in several areas across the country, following the identification of missiles launched from Iran towards the State of Israel," the military said.

"At this time, the Israeli Air Force is operating to intercept and strike threats where necessary to remove the threat."

Fresh blasts were also heard across Dubai, Doha and Manama as Iran's retaliatory strikes on neighbouring Gulf states ⁠widened.

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

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

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

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.

Qatar's interior ministry said on Sunday it was responding to a limited fire in an industrial zone after debris fell from an intercepted missile.

The new explosions came after a day of Iranian strikes in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi, as well as strikes on military bases and civilian infrastructure across the Gulf -- except for mediator Oman.

On Saturday, across the UAE, Iran fired 137 missiles and 209 drones at the country, the UAE defence ministry said, with fires and smoke seen at landmarks The Palm and Burj Al Arab.

At Abu Dhabi's airport, at least one person was killed and seven wounded during what authorities called an "incident".

Dubai airport, the world's busiest for international traffic, and Kuwait's airport, were also hit.

And smoke poured from US bases in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain's capital Manama, home of the American navy's Fifth Fleet, witnesses said, with US bases also targeted in Kuwait. (Agencies)



Edited by Edmond Fong