Iran fires on the Gulf: six countries under attack

Iran's retaliation came quickly and was considerably broader than in June 2025. The Revolutionary Guards confirmed strikes on US bases at Al Udeid (Qatar), Al Salem (Kuwait), Al Dhafra (UAE) and the Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. It also launched missiles at Saudi Arabia and Israel. Jordan reported shooting down 49 drones and ballistic missiles. The only Gulf Cooperation Council member Iran did not attack is Oman, the mediator that was still trying to save the nuclear talks as late as Friday.

In June, Iran had carefully telegraphed its strike on Al Udeid. This time the missiles arrived with little warning, according to Middle East Eye. In Abu Dhabi, debris from an intercepted missile fell over the St. Regis hotel area, killing a Pakistani civilian. In Doha, at least a dozen explosions were heard, most apparently from Patriot interceptors. In Dubai, the international airport, the world's busiest for international flights, shut down indefinitely. Qatar Airways suspended all flights. Lufthansa cancelled routes to Tel Aviv, Beirut and Oman through March 7.

The politically significant part is the Arab response. Saudi Arabia condemned "the blatant Iranian aggression" by name, offered "all its capabilities" to the affected countries, and demanded international action. Bahrain confirmed the attack on the Fifth Fleet and reserved "its full right to respond." The UAE did the same. No Gulf state condemned the US-Israeli operation. Iran's logic was that striking Arab territory would raise the cost for Washington. The effect was the exact opposite: it unified its rivals and consolidated an axis of regional isolation around Tehran. The US military reported zero casualties and "minimal damage" from hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks. In Israel, one person dead and 121 wounded, most in mild condition. The asymmetry is brutal. Ships are already avoiding the Strait of Hormuz and oil prices will climb. But the military equation of the day is clear: Iran fired everything it had at half the region and the damage was marginal.