ISTANBUL

Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia said early Friday that they intercepted missile and drone attacks as the US-Israeli war on Iran entered its 28th day.

Kuwait's military said in a statement that its air defenses responded to "hostile missile and drone attacks," adding that explosions heard in the country's skies were the result of interceptions. The Kuwait National Guard said it shot down two drones over areas under its protection.

In the UAE, the Sharjah Government Media Office said in a post on US social media company X that air defenses responded to a missile threat.

Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry said it intercepted and destroyed six drones over the Eastern Province in three separate incidents, according to state news agency SPA.

Regional escalation has continued to mount since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing over 1,340 people so far, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has retaliated with waves of drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, inflicting casualties and infrastructure damage while disrupting global markets and aviation.

*Writing by Lina Altawell