Kamal Ghorui
A video released by Iran’s state-linked Fars News Agency appears to show a plume of smoke rising from an area near the Burj Khalifa, as people are seen running from the scene. The exact location and distance of the explosion from the landmark skyscraper remain unclear.Another luxury hotel in Dubai was caught up in the escalating regional conflict after Iran launched retaliatory strikes in response to what it described as a “massive” assault by the US and Israel.Video verified by the BBC showed flames engulfing the Fairmont The Palm, with thick black smoke rising above the Palm Jumeirah. Authorities said four people were injured and the blaze was later contained.The incident comes as the United States and Israel launched what President Donald Trump described as “major combat operations” against Iran. Washington and Tel Aviv said the strikes were aimed at crippling Iran’s military capabilities and preventing it from developing a nuclear weapon. Iranian state media, citing the Red Crescent, reported that at least 201 people were killed and more than 700 injured in the attacks.Iran responded by firing missiles and drones towards Israel and at US military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. Shrapnel from one Iranian missile attack reportedly killed a person in the United Arab Emirates, as air defence systems were activated across parts of the Gulf. Iraq and the UAE temporarily closed their airspace, while sirens were heard in Jordan.In an eight-minute video message, Trump urged Iranians to “seize control of your destiny” and later said: “When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take.” He framed the operation as necessary to end what he called the threat posed by Iran’s leadership since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the strikes as “unprovoked, illegal and absolutely illegitimate”, while its Revolutionary Guard launched counterattacks. The United Nations Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting, and the UN’s nuclear watchdog said it was closely monitoring developments with “no evidence of radiological impact”.As missile exchanges continued into the night, commercial flights across the Middle East were disrupted, with major carriers suspending routes and rerouting aircraft.
