Civilian Facilities Under Fire According to official data and international reports, Iranian attacks have targeted airports, ports, oil facilities, and major maritime corridors. In Kuwait, the Civil Aviation Authority announced that Kuwait International Airport was attacked by drones, which hit the radar system. Additionally, the Port of Fujairah in the UAE was attacked by a drone, leading to a fire and disruption of some of its activities, as reported by Bloomberg. The strikes also extended to fuel tanks at the Port of Salalah in Oman, as well as targeting Abu Dhabi Airport and the Ras Tanura refinery. In the city of Al-Kharj, a projectile fell on a residential site belonging to a maintenance and cleaning company in the governorate, resulting in the deaths of residents of Indian and Bangladeshi nationalities and injuring 12 others, along with material damages. Thousands of Attacks in the Region Estimates and follow-up reports indicate that Iran has targeted 7 Arab countries, most of them Gulf states, with thousands of missile and drone attacks since the outbreak of the confrontation, in addition to airstrikes by fighter jets. These strikes have affected multiple civilian facilities, including airports, ports, and various buildings, resulting in casualties and injuries among civilians. Threat to International Navigation The attacks have not been limited to land facilities; they have also extended to the sea, with strikes recorded against commercial ships and oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most vital energy corridors in the world, through which about 20% of global oil and gas trade passes. Several commercial vessels sustained direct damage, with some catching fire, forcing their crews to evacuate. The strikes also targeted ports and industrial areas in the Gulf, including sites in Oman and areas near Muscat, as well as oil vessels off the coasts, leading to casualties and injuries among workers and ship crews. Strait of Hormuz Under Threat In a notable development, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard issued unprecedented warnings to ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, announcing that they could become military targets, in a message that practically means one of the world's most important trade routes is now threatened. Contradiction of the Narrative While Tehran insists that its operations are "limited" and only target American objectives, the ground realities reveal that the strikes have extended to civilian facilities and economic infrastructure relied upon by millions in the Gulf and the world. Between the Iranian narrative and reality, the war, which was said to be directed at specific targets, has often transformed into a broader threat affecting the global economy, international navigation, and civilian infrastructure in the region.
