ISTANBUL

Incoming missile sirens sounded in Bahrain for the third time on Wednesday as regional escalation continued to spike, the country's Interior Ministry said.

"Sirens have sounded. Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place," the ministry wrote on US social media company X.

Regional escalation has flared up since Israel and the US launched a joint attack on Iran since Feb. 28 that has so far killed over 1,200 people, including Iran's then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and injured over 10,000 others, according to Iranian authorities.

Tehran retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries that are home to US military assets.