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US-Israel strikes on Iran have triggered drone and missile attacks on Gulf states, hitting civilian and energy sites. Qatar says “all red lines” are crossed. The GCC has united in response, denying US airspace access for now, while urging Tehran to de-escalate amid fears of wider regional war.
The Middle East has now found itself in the middle of a renewed and wider military confrontation after the United States and Israel launched strikes at Iran and targeted the latter's military and naval forces, killing several Iranian leaders, including the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran retaliated to the US-Israel strikes by launching drones and missiles at its Arab neighbours, with the idea of targeting US military installations on their soil, but also ended up targeting their civilian and energy infrastructure, BBC reported.
The report suggests that in targeting the civilian and energy infrastructure of its Arab neighbours, Tehran is also targeting the Gulf's image as a safe and prosperous region, known for travel, tourism and finance, along with disrupting the oil and gas industry in the region.
The question that remains is whether Iran's Arab neighbours will be drawn into what they have called the “treacherous” Iranian attacks.
All red lines already crossed: Qatar spokesperson
Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman, Majed al Ansari, at a press briefing on Tuesday (local time), said, “All the red lines have already been crossed,” and added that the attacks on the country's sovereignty are constant. The official went on to say, “There are attacks on infrastructure. There are attacks on our residential areas. And the effects of these attacks are very clear. When it comes to possible retaliation, all options are with our leadership. But we have to make it very clear that attacks like these will not go unanswered and cannot go unanswered.”
Are Iran's targets on Arab neighbours intentional?
The report suggests that while most of the Iranian missiles are intercepted across the Gulf region, falling debris has sparked fires and caused casualties. Drones, which are harder to detect and intercept, often cause limited physical damage but still create enough disruption to unsettle trade and air travel.
It appears to be an Iranian strategy to increase pressure on its Arab neighbours in the hope that they will push the US to bring the conflict to an end. According to a Financial Times report, Tehran has launched nearly as many drones and missiles towards the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is the region's leading trade and tourism hub, as it has at Israel.
While Tehran also has the capacity to target the Gulf's critical oil and gas infrastructure, it could become equally risky for itself, since any escalation could push Gulf states closer to Washington and potentially draw them into the conflict directly.
Gulf denies the US access to airspace to attack Iran
So far, the Gulf region has denied the US access to its airspace or territory to carry out strikes on Iran, but that stance could shift if Tehran continues with its hostilities towards Arab neighbours.
It appears that Iran has strengthened the unity among the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Oman, who met in an emergency session on 1 March. The leaders expressed solidarity and vowed to “take all necessary measures to defend their security and stability and to protect their territories, citizens, and residents, including the option of responding to the aggression”.
A senior diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, Anwar Gargash, has appealed to Iran to rethink its actions. In a post on X, he told Tehran that “this conflict isn’t with your neighbours” and urged it to engage with them sensibly and responsibly before tensions and isolation deepen further.
About the Author
Swati Gandhi
Swati Gandhi is a digital journalist with over four years of experience, specialising in international and geopolitical issues. Her work focuses on fo...Read More
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