The Gulf war entered dangerous new territory on Saturday as Iranian ballistic missiles struck targets in the UAE, bringing the conflict to the shores of one of the world’s most economically critical regions. Oil-loading operations at Fujairah — a major global ship-refuelling hub — were suspended after the strikes, and Iran’s military warned civilians near UAE ports and US installations to leave. The attack was a clear signal that no country in the Gulf region would be spared from Iran’s campaign to raise the cost of the US-Israeli offensive.
Iran’s escalation came as the US bombing campaign against Iranian territory continued unabated. US warplanes struck Kharg Island for the second consecutive day on Saturday, following a massive assault that President Trump said in public remarks had effectively demolished the facility. Trump also called on allied nations to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, naming China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK. His appeal marked the first time he had publicly acknowledged that reopening the strait might require international help. The waterway, closed by Iran since the war began on February 28, carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s daily oil and gas.
Iran’s foreign minister called on Arab states to expel US forces, while Iranian military commanders threatened strikes on any Gulf energy or economic facility with American ties. The UAE condemned the attacks as terrorism while seeking restraint. Israel was also active on Saturday, conducting dozens of airstrikes across Iran and killing at least 15 people in an Isfahan factory strike. Iran fired rockets at Israel in return, keeping multiple fronts simultaneously active. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran’s leadership was “desperate and hiding” and claimed the new supreme leader had been wounded.
The economic stakes of the conflict were enormous. Oil prices approaching $120 per barrel were already causing significant global disruption, and analysts warned that further damage to Kharg Island or Fujairah could push prices toward $150. Trump had previously refrained from fully destroying Iran’s oil infrastructure but made clear that Iran’s continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could change that. The deployment of additional US marines and the USS Tripoli to the region signalled growing American military commitment.
The war’s human toll was vast and worsening. More than 1,400 Iranians had been killed in relentless bombing. Thirteen Israelis and roughly 20 Gulf residents had also died. Lebanon’s crisis deepened, with over 800 killed and 850,000 displaced from Israeli operations against Hezbollah. Six US troops died in a military aircraft crash in western Iraq. The US embassy in Baghdad was struck overnight, and all Americans in Iraq were told to leave. With Trump offering no timeline and Iran showing no sign of retreat, the prospect of a prolonged and increasingly costly war grew more real by the day.