Six Gulf states furious over Iranian drones, calling it a "betrayal"… Iran says it is "targeting only U.S. military facilities"

After U.S. bases, hotels and airports also hit

Flames erupt across Dubai, symbol of oil wealth

Gulf states’ emergency meeting warns of a "military counterstrike"

Foreign ministers from Gulf countries including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Bahrain—now key targets of intensified Iranian attacks since the war between the United States/Israel and Iran began on the 28th of last month—held an emergency meeting and strongly condemned Iran, warning they could pursue a military response.

According to AFP, the foreign ministers of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members—UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait—held a videoconference meeting on the 1st (local time), denouncing Iran’s “treacherous attack” as causing widespread damage.

In a statement issued after the meeting, the ministers warned, “We will take all necessary measures to defend national security and stability and protect our territory,” adding, “This includes options to respond to (Iran’s) attacks.” Urging Iran to immediately halt its attacks, they stressed that “stability in the Gulf region is not merely a regional concern but a fundamental pillar of global economic stability.”

Major cities in Gulf countries hosting U.S. military bases—such as Dubai, Doha and Manama—have been subjected to concentrated Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks since the outbreak of war on the 28th of last month. In particular, Iranian missile and drone strikes have extended beyond U.S. facilities in GCC member states to airports, hotels and apartments—hitting transport infrastructure as well as civilian residential and commercial properties—resulting in numerous local civilian casualties.

Officially, however, Iran maintains that it is conducting strikes aimed at U.S. military facilities and is not deliberately targeting civilian sites. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with Al Jazeera that he hoped people would understand “what is happening in the region is neither our fault nor our choice,” and claimed he had asked the military to exercise caution to target only U.S.-related facilities.

Dubai, one of the Middle East’s most prosperous cities and a regional transport hub, has come under particularly intense Iranian attacks. Dubai Airport, a key regional hub, saw part of a terminal building damaged in a drone strike, injuring four staff members.

The UAE Ministry of Defence said that by the 1st, a total of 165 ballistic missiles and 541 unmanned aircraft (drones) had flown in from Iran, and that 35 drones penetrated air defences and fell inside its territory, killing three people.

On Palm Jumeirah, an artificial island and major Dubai tourist destination packed with luxury hotels and restaurants, residents and tourists were gripped by anxiety after an Iranian Shahed drone exploded near the Fairmont hotel, sparking a fire. The UAE announced on the 1st that it would close its embassy in Iran and withdraw all diplomatic missions in protest.

Iran’s large-scale attacks targeting civilian facilities in neighboring Gulf states are being viewed as unusual. Some experts also suggest Iran is strategically striking civilian sites in GCC countries—seen as vulnerable to air defence—in order to maximize the terror effect of its attacks.

Choi Su-jin, Hankyung.com reporter naive@hankyung.com