GCC states have intercepted over 500 Iranian missiles and 1,500 UAVs in the first six days of the war. With the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait conducting most confirmed interceptions, incoming missiles have decreased, but less so UAVs.
Between 9am on 28 February 2026 Arabian Standard Time (AST) and 10am 6 March 2026, almost 150 hours into the conflict, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have confirmed over 2,150 interceptions of Iranian uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAVs), missiles, and even fighter jets. About a quarter of those are Iranian ballistic missiles, and almost all the rest were UAVs. Less than 20 cruise missiles were detected and intercepted.
Over half the confirmed interceptions by the GCC states occurred in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with a quarter taking place in Kuwait. Qatar and Bahrain stand at slightly below 10% of total GCC interceptions each, while Saudi Arabia and Oman have confirmed an almost insignificant number comparatively (roughly 2% and 0.1% respectively). Three-quarters of all interceptions recorded so far took place during the first three days (0–72 hours), whereas the rest took place between days four and six (73–144 hours).
Interception rates vary across GCC states. The UAE has reported an interception rate of around 93% for ballistic missiles and UAVs. Moreover, it intercepted all eight cruise missiles launched at its territory. Qatar’s overall interception rate stands at 89%, with a high missile interception rate (97%) but a lower UAV-interception rate (72%). Qatar has also intercepted two Iranian Su-24 fighter ground-attack aircraft. Bahrain’s performance is slightly below that of the UAE and Qatar, with an overall interception rate of 76%, which is higher for missiles (86%) than UAVs (71%). Interception rates for Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia are unavailable due to a lack of data.
Nonetheless, these figures must be treated with caution due to data limitations. The quality and comprehensiveness of data being released in real time vary across the GCC states, making comparisons at times difficult.
