Riyadh: Witnesses and AFP correspondents in Riyadh reported hearing powerful explosions in the eastern sector of the Saudi capital on Sunday, as Iran’s retaliatory campaign across the Gulf stretched into a second day.

The blasts, which reverberated through residential districts, were followed by visible plumes of smoke rising from the area. The local reports coincide with Tehran’s ongoing military response to the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday.

"Residents in eastern Riyadh told AFP they heard several loud bangs and saw smoke rising, with correspondents also hearing the explosions," the news agency confirmed.

With inputs from AFP