DUBAI: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards urged civilians across the region on Friday to stay away from areas near US forces, nearly a month into the war with the United States and Israel.
“The cowardly American-Zionist forces... are attempting to use civilian locations and innocent people as human shields,” said the Guards in a statement on their Sepah News website.
“We recommend that you urgently leave locations where American forces are stationed so that no harm comes to you.”
The IRGC warned people in and around US-linked, Israel-allied industrial companies and heavy industries across the region to evacuate their workplaces, according to a report in Iranian media.
The warnings came as Kuwait’s main commercial port was damaged in a drone attack on Friday, as Iran pressed on with its campaign in the Gulf in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes.
The Shuwaikh port was targeted at dawn “by enemy drones, preliminary reports revealed material damage but no human casualties,” the Kuwait port authority said.
Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry said it shot down a number of missiles and drones targeting the capital, Riyadh.
Six ballistic missiles were launched toward the Riyadh region, the ministry said shortly before midday. Two of the missiles were intercepted while the other four fell into the Arabian Gulf and on uninhabited areas.
More than 10 drones also targeted Riyadh since midnight. All were intercepted and destroyed by the Kingdom's air defenses. In one case, debris from the interception "fell in the vicinity of a military site without causing any injuries," the ministry said.
At least another 13 drones were shot down over the Eastern province during the same period.
Bahrain sounded its missile alert siren late Friday morning over an incoming Iranian attack.
Qatar, which had not seen a major attack in days, also sounded its alerts Friday.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Friday they had carried out missile and drone strikes the previous day targeting sites in Israel and military facilities in the Gulf used by US forces.
A maintenance facility for US air defense system Patriot was targeted in Bahrain, the Guards said in a statement carried by Iranian news agencies.
- With AP, AFP, and Reuters
