The U.S.-Iran conflict continues to knock on the door of the Gulf region. Following overnight U.S. air strikes against Iranian military targets, Iran has retaliated by shooting missiles and armed drones toward areas hosting American forces across neighbouring nations.
Iran made claims of U.S. military casualties, but U.S. officials denied the reports, saying there were no American casualties in the attacks.
Meanwhile, military forces across the region went on maximum alert. Following counterattacks by Iran, countries hosting U.S. military installations were activated: Kuwait reported interceptions, Bahrain placed its capital on alert and Jordan says it intercepted 10 of 13 ballistic missiles entering its airspace.
What started as a direct fight between Washington and Tehran has quickly turned into an urgent security crisis for the Arab countries hosting U.S. troops.
More than 50,000 U.S. military personnel are deployed across the Middle East. For Gulf governments, this creates a difficult security dilemma as those bases can become targets in an Iranian retaliation, putting host countries potentially in the line of fire even when they are not directly involved in the U.S. military operation.
The security environment in the Gulf changed sharply after the U.S. and Israel launched their war against Iran on February 28, followed by Iranian missile and drone attacks across the region.
The scale of the attacks has pushed Gulf states to strengthen layered air defences, combining systems such as Patriot and THAAD with radars and other technologies designed to counter cheaper drones.
The shift is also reflected in new U.S. arms deals: in March, Washington approved more than $16.5 billion in potential sales to the UAE, Kuwait and Jordan, including $8.4 billion for the UAE for drones, missiles, radars and F-16-related equipment.
But security now no longer depends on military power or weapons stationed along the world’s most strategic shipping route. The Strait of Hormuz matters to the entire region and to the global economy and every new escalation puts that vital lifeline under greater pressure. With the risks of further confrontation growing, the biggest hope may now lie in negotiations even diplomacy itself comes under pressure.
Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces struck two cargo vessels overnight in the Ukrainian Black Sea port o...
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after it was hit by a drone attack, with Riyadh and Baghdad sayin...
Saudi Arabia is opening up to more international travellers as tourism expands beyond religious travel. In Riyadh, historic landmarks stand alongsi...
Overnight Iranian strikes on an air base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. aircraft and left one without a wing, American media reported. Meanwhile, explosions were heard across parts of southern Iran according to local media reports.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the weekend BRICS summit, amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, joining a host of foreign dignitaries.
Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil refinery in Siberia and a seaport in Dagestan in the past 24 hours, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He will meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday to discuss air defences for Ukraine over winter.
Mexico and the U.S. are racing to secure a trade deal before the U.S. midterm elections in less than eight weeks, according to six sources familiar with the talks, with failed negotiations between Washington and Canada adding urgency.
A Russian strike on a gas station in Kyiv has killed two people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a statement on Telegram. In Russia, online marketplace Ozon has suspended operations in Saratov, southwestern Russia, following a drone strike on a warehouse in the region.
Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces struck two cargo vessels overnight in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Chornomorsk, the Interfax news agency reported on Saturday.
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after it was hit by a drone attack, with Riyadh and Baghdad saying the strike originated from Iraq.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Dublin on Saturday to meet Ireland’s leaders. He will also attend a golf tournament at one of his resorts, taking a brief detour from his focus on the Iran war and his party’s efforts to retain control of Congress in November’s midterm elections.
Dubai’s property market has spent years climbing. Now, for the first time since 2021, prices are moving in the opposite direction.
Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella has formally ended all government peace negotiations with illegal armed groups, marking a dramatic shift in the country's security strategy and delivering on a central pledge from his election campaign.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment