Gulf Arab states reported new missile and drone attacks on Sunday after Iran threatened to widen its campaign, calling for the evacuation of three major UAE ports. The conflict, now in its third week, has disrupted air travel, oil exports, and sent fuel prices soaring.
The war began on Feb. 28 when Israel and the US struck Iranian nuclear and military sites, urging the Iranian people to rise against their leaders. Iran responded with attacks on Israel and neighboring Gulf countries.
US President Donald Trump urged countries reliant on Gulf oil and gas, including China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK, to send warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz, though no firm commitments were made. UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said ending the conflict is the surest way to reopen the strait.
South Korea said it would coordinate with Washington. Iran called Trump’s request “begging” and warned of attacks on US-linked oil and energy infrastructure if Iranian facilities were hit.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, accused the US of launching strikes on Kharg and Abu Musa islands from UAE territory. The UAE and US Central Command denied the claims. Iran has fired hundreds of missiles and drones at the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman, claiming US assets as targets, though civilian sites like airports and oil fields have also been hit. Araghchi said mediation efforts were ongoing to end the war.
The human toll is mounting. Iranian strikes have killed at least a dozen civilians in Gulf countries, while the ICRC reports over 1,300 deaths in Iran, including 223 women and 202 children. In Israel, 12 people have died, including three on Sunday. US forces have lost 13 personnel, six in a recent plane crash in Iraq. In Lebanon, 820 have died, and 850,000 have been displaced amid Israeli retaliation against Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Heavy rain has worsened conditions for displaced families in Beirut, where tents are soaked and streets blocked by rubble. In southern suburbs, emergency crews are clearing roads to maintain access to hospitals.
Iran fired new missile barrages at Israel on Sunday, striking central Israel and Tel Aviv, causing damage at multiple sites and sending residents to shelters. Israel’s military said Iran is using cluster munitions that scatter submunitions across several locations, complicating defense efforts.
