In just the first six days of the war, members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) confirmed intercepting more than 500 Iranian missiles and roughly 1,500 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), showcasing an intense battle unfolding high above the region.
Air defense systems across the Gulf have been working relentlessly as the escalating conflict in the region unleashes a wave of Iranian aerial attacks. In just the first six days of the war, members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) confirmed intercepting more than 500 Iranian missiles and roughly 1,500 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), showcasing an intense battle unfolding high above the region.
Between 9am on 28 February 2026 Arabian Standard Time and 10am on 6 March 2026, nearly 150 hours into the conflict, the GCC states reported intercepting more than 2,150 Iranian aerial threats, including UAVs, ballistic missiles and even fighter aircraft. Around a quarter of the intercepted weapons were ballistic missiles, while the overwhelming majority consisted of UAVs. Fewer than 20 cruise missiles were detected and destroyed during this period.
The United Arab Emirates has borne the brunt of the aerial barrage, accounting for more than half of the confirmed interceptions. The Kuwait followed with roughly a quarter of the total interceptions. Meanwhile, Qatar and Bahrain each contributed slightly under 10% to the total tally, while Saudi Arabia and Oman reported comparatively minimal interception activity - about 2% and 0.1% respectively.
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The most intense phase of the aerial confrontation occurred during the opening days of the war. Nearly three-quarters of all interceptions took place within the first 72 hours, underscoring the ferocity of the initial wave of attacks. The remaining interceptions were recorded between days four and six of the conflict.
Defense performance has varied among GCC states. The United Arab Emirates has reported an impressive interception rate of about 93% against incoming ballistic missiles and UAVs. Notably, it successfully destroyed all eight cruise missiles that were launched toward its territory.
In Qatar, the overall interception rate stands at 89%, marked by a remarkable missile interception success rate of 97%. However, its ability to neutralize UAVs has been comparatively lower at 72%. Qatari forces also managed to intercept two Iranian Sukhoi Su‑24 fighter ground-attack aircraft.
Bahrain recorded a slightly lower overall interception rate of 76%, though it performed better against missiles (86%) than UAVs (71%). Data for Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia remains incomplete, making it difficult to determine their precise interception success rates.
Real-time data released by different GCC states varies significantly in quality and completeness, making direct comparisons challenging and leaving some aspects of the aerial campaign still shrouded in uncertainty.
