"More than a week after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, killing its supreme leader, Persian Gulf nations continue to be targeted by waves of Iranian drones and missiles that show few signs of letting up. The unprecedented assault has shaken countries that transformed in recent decades from sparsely populated desert nations into globally renowned business and tourism centers, calling into doubt their reputations as havens of wealth and stability."
"Dubai "is a safe haven and a brand name and a role model," said Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a political science professor from the United Arab Emirates. "It has built itself this image that people aspire to. The damage to that image is already there. The question is how permanent that damage is.""
"The transformation of Gulf countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar was made possible in part by diplomatic hedging by their leaders, who remained friendly with Iran even as they formed partnerships with the West, including allowing U.S. military bases to be constructed on their territory."
Following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran that killed its supreme leader, Persian Gulf nations face unprecedented waves of Iranian drone and missile strikes. Dubai, the UAE's most populous city and a global business hub with over 90 percent foreign residents, has been directly targeted, with drones striking near its international airport and high-rise towers. This assault threatens the region's transformation from desert nations into globally recognized centers of wealth and stability. Gulf leaders historically maintained diplomatic balance by remaining friendly with Iran while partnering with Western powers and hosting U.S. military bases. The UAE exemplifies this strategy through the Abraham Accords normalizing Israeli relations while serving as a key Iranian business hub. The ongoing attacks now force these nations to choose sides in a conflict they publicly opposed, potentially damaging their carefully constructed international reputations.
Read at The Washington Post
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