Saturday brought a surge of violence across the Middle East as Iran unleashed six separate waves of missiles targeting Israel while coordinated attacks struck key facilities in Iraq.
According to Israeli emergency officials, the missile barrages triggered warning sirens across the entire country. The attacks caused casualties in Eilat, a southern Israeli city, where a 12-year-old child was among those wounded.
Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency services initially classified the young victim’s injuries as serious but later upgraded the condition to moderate. Two other individuals sustained minor wounds, while six additional people required hospital treatment for anxiety-related symptoms.
Rescue teams documented two strike zones in Israel’s central region following the missile launches. Authorities confirmed no casualties occurred at these locations and no individuals were trapped beneath rubble.
Officials noted that defensive missile fragments damaged one building, while debris from interceptor missiles scattered across a nearby roadway.
Meanwhile, in northern Iraq, a drone attack forced the complete shutdown of the Lanaz oil refinery located in Irbil after the strike ignited a blaze on Saturday. Kurdistan Region Ministry of Natural Resources representatives told Reuters that refinery operations would stay suspended until firefighters control the flames and officials evaluate the full scope of damage.
The United Arab Emirates reported that attackers targeted its diplomatic facility in Iraqi Kurdistan for the second occasion within seven days.
“The attack resulted in injuries to two security personnel and damage to the consulate building,” the foreign affairs ministry said in a statement carried by WAM.
The ministry said targeting diplomatic missions “constitutes a flagrant violation of international norms and laws,” adding that “such acts represent a dangerous escalation and a threat to regional security and stability.”
