Iran Attacks Gulf Allies The conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran has entered a dangerous new phase, with Tehran launching fresh strikes against Gulf Arab nations and showing no signs of backing down despite more than two weeks of relentless bombardment by American and Israeli forces. The war, now in its third week, has claimed at least 2,000 lives and continues to destabilize one of the world's most critical energy corridors.
Iran Targets UAE as Regional Conflict Widens
Iran launched renewed attacks on the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, forcing the temporary closure of UAE airspace and striking key energy infrastructure for the second consecutive day. A drone struck an oil facility in Fujairah, a vital port for Emirati crude exports, while UAE authorities confirmed that debris from an intercepted ballistic missile fell in Abu Dhabi's Bani Yas area, killing one Pakistani national. A fire caused by a separate drone attack also broke out at Abu Dhabi's Shah gas field, sending alarm through global energy markets.
The cascading disruptions now threaten to sever the UAE's remaining crude export outlets entirely from global markets. With the Strait of Hormuz largely closed off, the attacks are deepening an energy crisis that has sent oil prices surging and reignited fears of inflation across Western economies. OPEC producers in the region are watching closely as their export capacity shrinks by the day.
Six foreign diplomats based in the Gulf and the broader Middle East told Reuters the strikes on Gulf Arab states were widely anticipated. These diplomats said regional and Western governments had long assessed that Tehran would retaliate against U.S. allies if America or Israel launched a military campaign against Iran, making the current escalation neither sudden nor unexpected to those closely monitoring the situation.
Trump Says Iran's Strikes on Neighbours Were a Surprise
President Donald Trump publicly stated that Iran's strikes against neighbouring Gulf states, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait, came as a surprise to his administration. His remarks drew immediate scrutiny from officials and intelligence sources who say the president was, in fact, briefed well before the conflict began about the risk of exactly this kind of regional spillover. The disconnect between Trump's public statements and private intelligence briefings has raised serious questions about decision-making at the highest levels of the U.S. government.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Trump was warned before the war that striking Iran could trigger a broader regional conflict, particularly if Gulf Arab nations were seen as condoning or actively supporting the American bombardment. Two additional sources familiar with U.S. intelligence reports corroborated this account, saying the scenario of Iranian retaliation against Gulf allies was explicitly outlined in pre-war assessments. Despite this, the administration moved forward without publicly preparing its allies for the consequences.
The failure to adequately communicate these risks to Gulf partners has strained diplomatic relationships at a moment when Washington needs regional cooperation most. U.S. allies in the Gulf have already rebuffed Trump's request for assistance in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a development that has further complicated American strategy and left Washington increasingly isolated in managing the fallout from a war it helped initiate.
Missiles, Drones and Strikes Continue on Multiple Fronts
There was no pause in hostilities on Tuesday, with Iran launching fresh missile strikes on Israel overnight, demonstrating that Tehran still retains the capacity to carry out long-range attacks despite sustaining heavy losses over more than two weeks of warfare. The persistence of Iran's offensive capabilities has surprised some military analysts who expected the U.S.-Israeli campaign to degrade Iran's strike power more rapidly. The missiles reaching Israeli territory signal that Iran's military infrastructure, while damaged, remains operational.
The Israeli military responded by announcing a new wave of strikes targeting what it described as Iranian regime infrastructure across Tehran, along with Hezbollah positions in Beirut. Israeli media also reported that the country's military targeted Iranian security chief Ali Larijani, though it remained unclear whether he was killed or wounded. Neither Iranian authorities nor the Israeli military officially commented on those reports, leaving the situation ambiguous and tensions running extremely high across the region.
In Iraq, rockets and at least five drones targeted the U.S. embassy in Baghdad in the early hours of Tuesday morning, with Iraqi security sources describing it as the most intense assault on the compound since the war began. Two U.S. officials confirmed that no injuries had been reported so far, but the attack underscored just how broadly the conflict has spread beyond Iran's borders, drawing in militia groups and proxy forces across the Middle East who are using the war as an opportunity to strike American interests.