A rapidly escalating military conflict has engulfed the Gulf region after Iran launched waves of missile and drone attacks across multiple countries in retaliation for joint United States–Israeli strikes on Iranian territory on 28 February 2026. Residents across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, and Doha reported simultaneous loud explosions as Iranian missile and drone attacks continued to pummel Gulf states for a fourth consecutive day, with regional air defences scrambling to intercept incoming fire.
Saudi Arabia’s Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman urged Iran to “avoid miscalculation” following missile and drone launches at the Kingdom, as the Saudi defence ministry confirmed it had thwarted repeated missile launches at an air base housing US military personnel and drone attacks targeting a major oil field. Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, warned it reserves the “full right” to respond, condemning what it called “blatant Iranian aggression.”
Strikes on Cities, Bases, and Oil Fields
In Abu Dhabi, blasts were reportedly heard near Al Dhafra Air Base, a key military installation jointly used by Emirati and American forces, prompting the UAE to temporarily close its airspace as a precautionary measure. A drone intercepted by UAE defence systems resulted in debris crashing into the Etihad Towers complex, which houses the Israeli embassy alongside other international missions, causing structural damage and injuring a woman and her child.
Three people killed in the UAE attacks were Pakistani, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi nationals, the Ministry of Defence in Abu Dhabi confirmed a grim reminder of the millions of South Asian migrant workers who call the Gulf home. In Saudi Arabia, Iran launched missiles at Prince Sultan Air Base and Riyadh’s airport, both intercepted without material losses, while five drones targeting the Ras Tanura oil refinery were shot down, though falling shrapnel caused a limited fire.
In a particularly provocative move, two Iranian drones struck the US Embassy compound in Riyadh, causing a limited fire and minor material damage, which Saudi Arabia condemned as a flagrant violation of international law under the Geneva Conventions and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Global financial markets buckled under the weight of the escalation, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged more than 1,100 points, while Brent crude surged nearly 8% to around $83.79 a barrel as supply disruption fears intensified.
From Diplomacy to Destruction
In a confidential briefing in Washington in early 2026, Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman told senior officials in the Trump administration that failure to act militarily against Iran would only embolden the Islamic Republic, framing it not as an option but as a strategic necessity.
Yet even as Riyadh privately encouraged pressure on Tehran, senior Saudi officials expressed deep anger at the scale and timing of the US and Israeli strikes, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman conveying a message to Gulf allies urging them to avoid steps that could trigger a further Iranian response.
Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who had been a key mediator in talks to prevent war, expressed dismay at the strikes and urged the US not to be drawn in further, saying the conflict was “not your war.” The human cost is already spreading regionally at Abu Dhabi’s airport, at least one person was killed and seven wounded, while in Qatar, eight people were injured in Iranian salvos, with one in critical condition.
Turkey’s President Erdoğan said Ankara was making “intense” diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis, while France announced it would begin facilitating evacuations for an estimated 400,000 French nationals across the Gulf.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The explosions tearing through Gulf cities are not merely a story of missiles and military doctrine, they are stories of a Nepali labourer, a Pakistani engineer, a Bangladeshi worker, who came to the Gulf in search of a better life and now find themselves caught in a war they never chose. India, too, has a profound stake in this conflict: nearly nine million Indians live and work across the Gulf, remitting billions home each year, and their safety must be a central concern for New Delhi.
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