The skies over Dubai glowed orange again last night. The deep thud of intercepted missiles rattled windows along the Doha corniche. And in Washington, President Donald Trump fired off another blistering warning to Tehran — threatening to strike Iran with a force "never seen before" if it followed through on its vows of escalation. As Operation Epic Fury enters its second week, the Gulf region — once the world's most stable crossroads of commerce and diplomacy — finds itself on the edge of an abyss.
How Did This War Begin?
On February 28, 2026, President Donald Trump formally announced the launch of Operation Epic Fury — a sweeping joint US-Israeli military campaign targeting Iran's military infrastructure, Revolutionary Guard command centers, and government institutions across Tehran and beyond.
The opening strikes were devastating in scale. Over 80 Israeli F-35s and F-15s flew in a single wave. US B-2 Spirit stealth bombers and Tomahawk cruise missiles pummeled targets simultaneously. Within hours of the campaign's launch, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed — a seismic development that threw the Iranian government into immediate disarray.
Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf confirmed Khamenei's death in an emergency address, saying that Trump and Netanyahu had "crossed a red line" and would "pay the price." The succession remains unresolved, and with it, command-and-control of Iran's military forces has become dangerously fragmented.
"They Better Not Do That" — Trump Issues Stark New Warning
On Saturday, March 7, Trump addressed the "Shield of the Americas" summit at Trump National Doral Miami, telling regional leaders that the US was doing "very well" in its campaign against Iran and that this was "a service not just for the Middle East, but for the whole world."
But the sharpest words came on Truth Social, after Iranian officials vowed to escalate their attacks on American targets in the Gulf.
Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever been hit before. THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT — BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!
— President Donald Trump, Truth SocialTrump further warned that America was considering adding "new regions and groups of people" to its targeting list. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that US military power was set to "dramatically increase" in the coming days.
Trump also issued a direct appeal to Iran's Revolutionary Guard soldiers, urging them to lay down their arms or face "certain death," adding that IRGC headquarters had already been destroyed. The message was clear: Washington has no intention of pausing operations, and escalation will be met with overwhelming force.
Administration officials said the campaign was expected to wrap up within "four weeks" — though military analysts privately questioned whether that timeline was realistic given Iran's demonstrated ability to sustain long-range missile fire from hardened underground launch sites.
Dubai, Doha, Manama — The Gulf Cities That Won't Sleep
From the moment Iran launched its retaliatory strikes, the Gulf's glittering skylines became targets. Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and the UAE all reported incoming missiles and drones — many aimed at US military installations, but others striking dangerously close to hotels, ports and residential towers.
⚠️ The Human Cost in the Gulf
At least 3 foreign nationals — Pakistani, Nepalese and Bangladeshi workers — have been killed in UAE from Iranian strikes. Dozens more injured across the Gulf.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi stock exchanges suspended trading until Tuesday. The Etihad Towers complex in Abu Dhabi, housing several foreign missions, was hit directly.
Expats who form over 88% of the UAE's population are experiencing the conflict in a country that has no civil defense shelters for the general public — a vulnerability that city planners never anticipated.
Fractured Leadership, Defiant Rhetoric — Iran's Dangerous Ambiguity
The killing of Khamenei has created a power vacuum at the very moment Iran needs decisive, unified command. In the streets, reactions were strikingly mixed — celebrations in some cities, grief and mourning rallies in others, suggesting a society deeply divided over the war itself.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian struck a surprisingly conciliatory tone, publicly apologizing to neighboring countries and stating that Iran "had no intention of attacking countries that were not directly hostile." This appeared to directly contradict the IRGC's ongoing strikes against Gulf states — hinting at a dangerous breakdown between civilian leadership and military command.
Trump and Netanyahu have crossed a red line. They will pay the price for this act.
— Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran Parliament SpeakerThe Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council issued even more inflammatory language, threatening to "stab America in the heart." Meanwhile, multiple reports emerged suggesting that Russia had supplied Iran with real-time intelligence on US target locations in the Gulf — an allegation Washington denied while quietly noting it was factoring the claim into its operational planning.
The disconnect between Iran's civilian government and the IRGC represents perhaps the most alarming wildcard of this conflict. With no clear successor to Khamenei, the military arm of the Islamic Republic could act autonomously — making de-escalation far harder to achieve, and miscalculation far more likely.
Strait of Hormuz Closed, Oil Prices Soar — The World Feels the Heat
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway through which roughly 20% of the world's oil supply passes — sent shockwaves through global markets. Oil prices surged to record highs within 48 hours of Iran's blockade announcement. Shipping companies began rerouting vessels around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, adding weeks and millions of dollars in costs to each voyage.
🌍 How the World Is Responding
China: As the world's largest oil importer, Beijing dispatched a special envoy within 24 hours, appealing to both sides for an immediate ceasefire. Chinese state media described the conflict as a "catastrophic miscalculation."
Russia: President Putin condemned Khamenei's killing as a "cynical murder." Moscow faces accusations of supplying Iran with intelligence on US military positions in the Gulf — a charge the Kremlin denies.
Europe (E3): The UK, France and Germany issued a joint statement supporting "proportionate defensive measures" against Iranian drone and missile attacks, while calling on Washington to avoid further civilian casualties inside Iran.
Pakistan: At least 9 protesters were killed in Karachi after crowds stormed the US Consulate. Anti-American demonstrations spread to Lahore and Islamabad.
Oman: Initially spared by Iranian strikes — a signal of Muscat's continued back-channel role — Oman was nonetheless grazed by a tanker attack and a port incident, testing its fragile neutrality.
Back in Washington, the US Congress convened for an emergency session on the War Powers Resolution. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine called the conflict "an illegal war launched without Congressional authorization." But Trump, buoyed by strong polling numbers among his base, showed no signs of pulling back.
Is Iran's Strategy Backfiring — and What Comes Next?
Military analysts and regional experts are increasingly united in one view: by attacking its Gulf Arab neighbors, Iran has made a catastrophic strategic error. These are countries with which Iran shares centuries of trade, culture and people-to-people ties. By raining missiles on Dubai's skyscrapers and Doha's airports, Tehran may have permanently severed relationships it will desperately need if it hopes to rebuild after this war.
Former CIA Director David Petraeus, speaking to CNN, described Iran's targeting of Gulf states as "a historic strategic blunder that risks pulling more countries into direct confrontation." Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain — all of which host major US bases — now have every political incentive to support the American campaign more openly.
Gulf Arab states watched with dread as the US and Israel launched this war. Iran's response — turning its missiles on these same neighbours — is not only a strategic miscalculation of historic proportions, but a profound moral and legal failure.
— Sultan al-Khulaifi, Centre for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, Al JazeeraThe path forward is murky. Oman's mediation efforts are ongoing, but trust is scarce on both sides. China's envoy has met with Iranian officials but received no commitment to a ceasefire. The war's trajectory now hinges on three unknowns: who takes Khamenei's place and what authority they hold over the IRGC; whether Trump expands the target list to include civilian infrastructure; and whether Gulf states formally request US protection, which would dramatically widen the conflict's scope.
One thing is certain: the Gulf as the world knew it — a region of glittering airports, packed hotels and trillion-dollar sovereign wealth funds — has entered a new and far more dangerous era. And every morning, residents of Dubai and Doha wake up not knowing if the night ahead will be quiet, or lit by the orange glow of another intercept.
The Gulf Is at a Crossroads — and Every Hour Matters
Operation Epic Fury has now entered its second week. The cities that once symbolized Middle Eastern stability and ambition — Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi — are living under the shadow of a war they did not start and cannot stop. Trump's warnings grow sharper by the day. Iran's fragmented leadership grows more unpredictable. And the rest of the world, from Beijing to Brussels, watches with growing alarm.
The critical question is no longer whether this war will reshape the Middle East — it already has. The question is whether diplomacy can find a foothold before the next escalation makes it impossible. Oman is trying. China is pressing. But time is running out, and in the Gulf, every explosion is a reminder of just how close the edge really is.
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