Gulf nations have been placed on high alert as Iran expands its drone and missile attacks across the region, targeting civilian infrastructure and major trade hubs in what analysts describe as an escalation aimed at pressuring global economies.
Middle Eastern countries braced for further attacks on Monday following a series of warnings from Tehran that strikes could extend to global economic hubs, US technology facilities, hotels, tourist destinations, and key seaports and airports across the region, media reports from the Gulf posits.
Iran’s public threats signal a shift toward economic warfare, raising concerns about widespread disruption to global trade and energy markets.
For the first time since the conflict began, Iran also threatened the non-US assets of a neighboring country, calling for the evacuation of three major ports in the United Arab Emirates.
As Iran continued its attacks, the UAE intercepted several incoming drones and missiles. One drone struck a fuel tank near Dubai International Airport early Monday, triggering a fire and forcing the temporary suspension of flights at the world’s busiest airport for international travel and a major hub linking East and West.
Incoming aircraft were forced to circle in holding patterns before operations gradually resumed after about an hour.
Authorities also reported a fire at an industrial oil facility in Fujairah after a drone strike early Monday.
The Fujairah Media Office said the drone targeted the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, causing what it described as an “advanced” fire.
In the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, officials said a Palestinian civilian was killed when a missile struck a civilian vehicle in the Al Bahyah area.
Other Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain, also reported fresh drone and missile attacks on Monday.
Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry said it intercepted a barrage of Iranian drones over the capital Riyadh and the kingdom’s oil-rich western region. Officials said there were no casualties or damage.
Israel claims major blow to Iran’s missile arsenal
The Israeli military said it has destroyed around 70% of Iran’s missile launchers during the first two weeks of the war, significantly weakening Tehran’s strike capabilities.
According to Israeli officials, about 7,600 strikes have been carried out across Iran, disabling roughly 85% of the country’s air defence systems and targeting several nuclear facilities.
Military spokesperson Effie Defrin said the campaign would continue “for as long as needed,” adding that Israel still has thousands of potential targets.
The escalation comes as Iran maintains a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical shipping routes.
US President Donald Trump announced Sunday that Washington has asked several countries to deploy warships to help keep the waterway open. The United States is negotiating with nations heavily dependent on Middle Eastern crude to form a coalition to police the strait.
Fighting spreads to Lebanon
On another front of the conflict, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that one person was killed in an Israeli airstrike early Monday on a home in the southern village of Kfar Sir.
A second strike occurred after paramedics from the Islamic Health Society, the health arm of Hezbollah, arrived at the scene, killing two paramedics and wounding another person.
The Israeli military said it has sent additional ground troops into Lebanon for what it called a “limited and targeted operation” aimed at protecting Israeli border communities from attacks by the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.
The war has now killed at least 1,300 people in Iran, 850 in Lebanon and 12 in Israel, according to officials in those countries.
At least 13 US military personnel have also died, including six killed in a plane crash in Iraq last week.
More than 800,000 people nearly one in seven residents of Lebanon have been displaced by the fighting, according to reports from the Associated Press.
