An Iranian ballistic missile hit the United States’ military base at Al-Udeid on Tuesday (March 3, 2026), Qatar’s Defence Ministry said, as Tehran struck targets across the Gulf in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli attacks.

The Ministry said Qatar was targeted by two missiles, adding: “Air defence systems successfully intercepted one of the missiles, while the second missile struck Al-Udeid Qatari Base without causing any casualties.”

Later Qatar said it had dismantled two spy cells linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, its official press agency reported just after midnight on Wednesday (March 4, 2026).

“Close surveillance made it possible to arrest 10 suspects: seven were tasked with spying and gathering information about vital and military infrastructure in the country, and three were meant to carry out sabotage operations,” the agency said.

It added the suspects “admitted during the investigation their links to the Revolutionary Guards and having been instructed to conduct espionage and sabotage activities”.

A drone attack caused a fire near the U.S. consulate in Dubai on Tuesday (March 3, 2026), a government statement said, after the U.S. embassy in Riyadh was hit by an Iranian strike.

Nearby residents told AFP they heard a loud bang, and one person said she then saw a fire at the consulate.

Dubai and other Gulf cities have been under bombardment since Saturday (February 28, 2026) in a retaliatory attack from Iran after it was attacked by a joint operation by Israel and U.S. on Saturday (February 28, 2026).

“Dubai authorities have confirmed that a fire resulting from a drone-related incident near the US Consulate has been successfully contained,” the Dubai Media Office posted on X.

Streets around the area were cordoned off, while police in plain clothes shooed away onlookers trying to see the consulate.

Earlier, loud jet sounds could be heard over Dubai, the West Asia commercial hub.

Rubio on fire in U.S. consulate in Dubai

Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the drone strike adjacent to the U.S. consulate in Dubai and said all personnel were safe.

“A drone unfortunately struck a parking lot adjacent to the chancellery building and then set off a fire in that place. All personnel are accounted for,” Mr. Rubio told reporters in Washington.

The attack came after two drones sparked a small fire at the U.S. embassy in the Saudi capital Riyadh in the early hours of Tuesday (March 3, 2026) the Saudi Defence Ministry said.

The U.S. embassy in Kuwait City was struck by drones on Monday (March 2, 2026), three diplomatic sources told AFP.

An AFP correspondent saw smoke pouring out of the building.

The UAE has ‌ordered its stock markets closed on Monday (March 2, 2026) ​and Tuesday (March 3, 2026) as the country ⁠reels from Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone strikes, in a sign of the growing economic disruption ‌sweeping the Gulf.

The UAE Capital Markets Authority said the Abu ‌Dhabi Securities Exchange and Dubai Financial ‌Market ⁠would remain shut on March 2 ⁠and March 3, citing its supervisory and regulatory role over the country’s capital markets.

“The Authority will ​continue to monitor ‌developments in the region and assess the situation on an ongoing basis, taking any further measures as necessary,” it said ‌in a statement.

The UAE’s two exchanges ​are home to some of the region’s most valuable listed companies.

The ⁠closure keeps billions of dollars in listed assets in suspension as investors await ‌clarity on the scale of damage from Saturday and Sunday’s strikes, which hit airports, ports and residential areas across the UAE and broader Gulf region.

Gulf markets that did open on Sunday (March 1, 2026) saw ‌sharp declines. Saudi Arabia’s benchmark index fell more ​than 4% at the open, Oman dropped 3% and Egypt’s main index ⁠shed 5.44%, while Kuwait suspended trading entirely.

All parties ⁠were advised to follow official UAE Capital Markets Authority, ADX and ‌DFM channels for updates on the resumption of trading.

France, Germany and the U.K. said on Sunday (March 1, 2026) they were ready to defend their interests and those of its allies in the Gulf if necessary by taking “defensive action” against Iran.

The three countries’ leaders were “appalled by the indiscriminate and disproportionate missile attacks launched by Iran against countries in the region, including those who were not involved in initial U.S. and Israeli military operations”, said the joint statement.

“Iran’s reckless attacks have targeted our close allies and are threatening our service personnel and our civilians across the region,” the statement added.

“We call on Iran to stop these reckless attacks immediately.

“We will take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially through enabling necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones at their source,” said the statement.

“We have agreed to work together with the U.S. and allies in the region on this matter.”

Iran has launched a series of missile and drone strikes on several Gulf countries, saying it is targeting U.S. bases, after being hit by U.S.-Israeli missile strikes from Saturday (February 28, 2026).

Iran’s attacks have hit a multinational military base near Arbil in northern Iraq, and a German army camp in the east of Jordan, a German army spokesman told AFP, confirming media reports.

There had been no casualties in the attacks, he added.

Use of British ‌bases

British Prime ​Minister Keir ‌Starmer said on Sunday (March 1, 2026) ​that ⁠his country has accepted a U.S. ‌request to use British ‌bases for ‌defensive ⁠strikes ⁠against Iranian missiles in storage depots or ​launchers.

“The ‌United States has requested permission to use ‌British bases for ​that specific and limited ⁠defensive purpose. We have taken ‌the decision to accept this request to prevent Iran ‌firing missiles across the ​region,” Mr. Starmer said in ⁠a video ⁠message on X.

He added: “We were not involved in the initial strikes on Iran and we will not join offensive action now.

Iran on U.S.-Israeli attack

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced a “large-scale” attack on Sunday (March 1, 2026), and blasts were heard in Riyadh, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Manama, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, with Israeli rescue services reporting at least nine people killed in the city of Beit Shemesh.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian declared Khamenei’s killing a “declaration of war against Muslims” and warned: “Iran considers it its legitimate duty and right to avenge the perpetrators and masterminds of this historic crime.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told U.S. channel ABC News on Sunday (March 1, 2026): “We are defending ourselves whatever it takes, and we see no limit for ourselves to defend our people, to protect our people.”