Iran has bombarded U.S.-friendly Gulf states with drones and ballistic missiles, upending the region’s calm.
UAE airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi shut down after strikes killed three foreign workers from Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. The UAE Defence Ministry intercepted 165 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles, and 541 drones by Sunday, though some hit civilian spots.
Bahrain downed 61 missiles and 34 drones protecting its U.S. Fifth Fleet base but lost a migrant to shrapnel, with damage to buildings. The barrage followed U.S.-Israeli strikes on 28 February 2026 that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, shifting from military to civilian targets like hotels and malls.
Abu Dhabi residents heard five blasts near the Corniche. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi told Al Jazeera, “We are not attacking our neighbours in the Persian Gulf countries, we are targeting the presence of the U.S. in these countries. Neighbours should direct their grievances to the decision-makers of this war.”
Airport patterns suggest intent beyond debris fallout, despite Gulf neutrality pleas. This eclipses the 2019 Houthi drone hits on Saudi Aramco’s Abqaiq and Khurais plants and last June’s symbolic Qatar base volley after U.S. nuclear site raids.
Bahrain blames Iran for arming Shia insurgents; Oman saw a Duqm port drone injury. Saudi Arabia hit back, stating “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expresses its rejection and condemnation in the strongest terms of the blatant and cowardly Iranian attacks that targeted the Riyadh Region and the Eastern Province, which were successfully intercepted. These attacks cannot be justified under any pretext.” The GCC vowed self-defence.
U.S. and Israel dominate with carriers, bombers, and air superiority over sanctioned Iran. Tehran weighs escalation or endurance via martyrdom ethos. Trump demands nuclear curbs, missile halts, and proxy cuts. Geneva talks stalled; backchannels may truce, but tensions persist with closed airspace and oil risks.