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3. Fresh Explosions Erupt in the Gulf As Larijani Announces Iran "Will Not Negotiate"

Fresh explosions were being heard in Doha, Bahrain, Dubai, and Manama on Monday, marking the third day of Iranian attacks in the Gulf. 

The round of explosions being heard across the region come as Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani said Tehran would not negotiate with the United States, hardening the country’s stance after U.S.-Israeli strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Additionally, an AFP correspondent reported seeing black smoke rising near the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait City, prompting the diplomatic mission to urge people to stay away from the area amid ongoing strikes across the region.

The Qatar defense ministry said that a drone targeted a Qatarenergy facility in Ras Laffan.

Iran’s military said Monday it had targeted U.S. facilities including Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait, as well as vessels and military assets in the Indian Ocean as part of its retaliation for U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura refinery, operated by state oil giant Saudi Aramco, has been shut down following a drone strike in the area, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

According to the sources, Saudi Aramco is taking time to assess the extent of the damage resulting from the strike. A fire that broke out at the site has since been brought under control.

Located on the Gulf Coast, the Ras Tanura refinery is one of the largest in the region, with a processing capacity of approximately 550,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

Ali Larijani responds

“We will not negotiate with the United States,” Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, said in a post on X on Monday, dismissing media reports that Tehran had sought dialogue through intermediaries following the weekend attacks.

In a series of posts on X, Larijani blasted U.S. President Donald Trump, stating he plunged the Middle East into chaos with his "delusional fantasies" and turned "America First" into "Israel First," while sacrificing the lives of U.S. soldiers in the process. "Iran did not initiate aggression … Iran is defending itself," he concluded.

The fresh explosions heard in Doha, Bahrain, Dubai, and Manama come amid an unprecedented wave of Iranian missile and drone strikes across the Gulf region, part of Tehran’s retaliation for U.S.‑Israeli airstrikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior officials.

The strikes have rocked multiple Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, with explosions reported near U.S. military bases and major urban centers, triggering air defenses, sirens, and in some cases casualties and material damage. Gulf nations and Western allies have condemned the attacks.