Tensions in the Persian Gulf continue to rise as the regional war enters its second week. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards have declared that they are “waiting” for a possible intervention by American forces in the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic passage through which a crucial share of the world’s oil passes and where maritime traffic remains significantly slowed down. “We are waiting for their presence,” said Pasdaran spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini, commenting on the statements of the US Energy Secretary according to which the US Navy was preparing to escort the ships into the strait “as soon as it is reasonable to do so”. A message that sounds like a warning. “We recommend that the Americans, before making any decisions, remember the fire of the American supertanker Bridgeton in 1987 and the oil tankers hit recently,” Naini added, as reported by the Iranian Fars agency. The reference is to the so-called “tanker war” of the 1980s, when the Gulf became the scene of attacks against commercial ships. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian apologized to neighboring countries for the attacks launched during the Islamic Republic’s war against Israel and the United States. “I apologize to the neighboring countries that were attacked by Iran,” Pezeshkian said in a speech broadcast on state TV. It also said it would not target neighboring countries unless they were attacked from there. Iran will never surrender to the United States and Israel.” “Enemies must take the Iranian people’s desire to surrender with them to the grave,” Pezeshkian said.
Drone attacks and tension in the skies of the Gulf
In the same hours an explosion was heard near Dubai airport. Witnesses reported a cloud of black smoke rising rapidly into the sky near the airport. Tracking site Flightradar24 showed several planes flying above the airport, apparently waiting to be cleared to land. Flights from the Emirati city’s main airport – the busiest in the world by international traffic – had only partially resumed at the beginning of the week, despite daily drone strikes against targets in the Emirates.
The Dubai Media Office spoke on X of “a minor accident caused by falling debris after the interception” of a drone. Shortly afterwards came the Iranian claim. Tehran’s military confirmed that it had launched a new wave of drone attacks against Israel and against American military bases in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. “The Iranian Navy has hit American bases and occupied territories with a massive wave of drone attacks,” reads a statement released by the official IRNA agency. The targets indicated include the Al Minhad base in the United Arab Emirates, a US base in Kuwait and a “strategic facility” in Israel.
Israel’s response
Meanwhile, Israel announced this morning a new wave of “large-scale” attacks against government targets in Tehran. Images of columns of smoke rising from the area of Mehrabad international airport, one of the city’s main airports, have arrived from the Iranian capital. The military escalation is thus transforming the conflict into an increasingly direct confrontation between Iran, Israel and the United States, with the growing risk of an expansion to the entire Gulf region.
The warning to Europe
Tehran also issued a harsh warning to European countries. In an interview with France 24 relaunched by the Guardian, Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi declared that any state that “joins America and Israel in aggression against Iran” will become “a legitimate target for Iranian retaliation”. The diplomat argued that Iran had “negotiated in good faith” with Washington before the US attack. «We don’t trust the Americans. Not only did they betray us, but they also betrayed diplomacy,” he said, defining Tehran’s military moves as defensive actions. “This war was imposed on us,” concluded Takht-Ravanchi, accusing the United States and Israel of having opened a new phase of direct confrontation which now threatens to destabilize the entire Middle East.
Dubai Airport temporarily suspends operations
Dubai Airport said in the morning that it had temporarily suspended operations after an object was intercepted by air defense in the area. “For the safety of passengers, airport staff and airline crews, operations at Dubai International Airport (DXB) have been temporarily suspended. All procedures are handled in line with established safety protocols,” the Dubai Government Press Office said. Emirates airline will resume flights from Dubai, after the brief interruption due to the interception of a drone. The airline itself reported this. «Emirates resumes operations. Passengers who have confirmed their reservations for this afternoon’s flights will be able to go to the airport. This also applies to customers transiting through Dubai, if their connecting flight is also operational,” it said in a post. “Emirates continues to monitor the situation and will adapt its operational program accordingly,” it states.