Doha: Residents in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported being largely blindsided by Iran's attacks on the Gulf nations, as retaliation for the United States (US)-Israeli strikes on Iran yesterday.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Malaysian Syakirah Anas, who resides in Doha with her husband and their daughter, expressed her concern about the proximity of the attacks. Speaking via WhatsApp, she described how missiles seemed to pass directly over residential areas. "The target is the Al Udeid air base (which is an hour's drive from us). But the missiles pass over us. Some of them get intercepted right above us. We had some debris fall in our compound this morning," she said.

Despite the alarming situation, Syakirah and her family are safe for now. They are sheltering in the living room, staying updated with the news through television and the Internet. She mentioned that this was the third time she had witnessed attacks in Doha, recalling a similar incident in June 2025 when Iran targeted the Al Udeid air base, which hosts US forces in Qatar.

Syakirah remains hopeful that the situation will not escalate further, citing Qatar and Iran's alliance. However, she is concerned about her friends and relatives in Qatar and the UAE, particularly her cousin who recently started working in Abu Dhabi, UAE, one of the targeted locations. "It's quite intense there as (Abu Dhabi is) really close to the US air base," she noted, confirming that her cousin has been in contact with her.

Attempts by BERNAMA to reach Syakirah's cousin for comments were unsuccessful at press time.

Residents in the UAE also expressed their shock to BERNAMA, witnessing the missiles being intercepted. Asma Zain, the Gulf Pulse founder and editor-in-chief, shared her disbelief via WhatsApp, stating she always considered the UAE a safe place. "The situation is pretty grim. It's never been like this. People are panicked," she remarked.

Asma resides in Sharjah, an emirate north of Dubai. Despite her location being relatively quiet, she could still perceive the events unfolding in Dubai. "There were loud bangs, which were apparently from the missiles being intercepted at night. This morning, I saw a black cloud over the sky, right in front of my building," she said.

Community group chats, according to Asma, have been inundated with emergency preparedness advice, including tips on calming children and preparing basic medical supplies. Although authorities have been communicating about the situation, Asma criticized the lack of concrete safety guidance. "The only thing they say is look for the nearest, safest shelter. But they haven't pointed out which shelters these are," she explained, hoping for an improvement in the situation soon.

The tension in the Middle East intensified after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on Saturday, prompting Iran to retaliate with missile strikes on Israeli territory and US military facilities in the region.