Iran dramatically escalated its strategy of striking civilian infrastructure and transport networks across the Gulf on Wednesday, attacking commercial ships and targeting Dubai’s international airport as US and Israeli warplanes launched new waves of strikes. Senior Iranian officials warned of a long “war of attrition” and a global economic crisis stemming from Tehran’s choking off of the region’s energy supplies.
Oil prices on Thursday again topped $100 a barrel before dipping to $98. Violence continued across the Middle East, with Israel bombarding Beirut’s southern suburbs and southern Lebanon after Hezbollah launched drones and rockets at northern Israel on Wednesday night.
As the conflict nears the two-week mark, multiple Israeli security sources have told the Guardian that Israel did not have a realistic plan for regime change when it attacked Iran, and that the expectation airstrikes could prompt a popular uprising was driven by “wishful thinking”, not hard intelligence.
More than two-thirds of Iran’s attacks have been on the UAE. Dubai, a centre of global finance and international tourism, is facing an existential threat as foreigners flee.
