Tehran — Iran has unleashed its most ferocious retaliation in modern history, firing volleys of ballistic and cruise missiles at five U.S. bases across the Gulf, while secondary explosions shook key sites in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain in a night of coordinated chaos.

State TV hailed the strikes as “the first wave of unsparing revenge” for the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, broadcasting grainy footage of launches and fiery impact flashes. Revolutionary Guard commanders claimed “dozens of direct hits” on American command centers, airfields and logistics hubs, vowing that “no U.S. soldier in the region will sleep in safety.”

In Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Manama, residents reported deafening blasts and streaks of interceptor missiles arcing across the sky as air-defense systems struggled to separate Iranian projectiles from suspected militia‑launched drones. Governments confirmed “limited but serious damage” to energy and infrastructure sites, urging calm while quietly ordering emergency shutdowns at some facilities.

The Pentagon insists most incoming missiles were intercepted but acknowledges “significant impacts” at multiple locations and “a number of casualties.” Oil prices have exploded upward, shipping insurers are pulling coverage from Gulf routes and global markets are bracing for prolonged shock. Analysts warn that Iran’s decision to spread the battlefield across U.S. bases and Gulf monarchies has shattered any illusion of a contained conflict — and may have locked the region into a grinding, open‑ended war.