Iran renews attacks on US Gulf allies, Trump says that was not expected

Iran launched fresh attacks on the United Arab Emirates today (16 March), the kind of strikes on US Gulf allies that President Donald Trump said had not been expected, but which sources said he had been warned about before the ‌conflict.

Six foreign diplomats in the Gulf and the wider Middle East have told Reuters it was widely anticipated that Tehran would target Gulf Arab states if the US or Israel attacked Iran, an assessment they said was shared by regional and Western governments.

The US-Israeli war on Iran is in its third week with at least 2,000 people dead and no end in sight. The Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed off, with US allies rebuffing Trump's request for help to reopen the critical waterway, raising energy prices and fears of inflation.

There was no let-up in attacks by both sides early today (16 March), with Iran launching missiles on Israel overnight, underscoring that Tehran still retains the capacity to carry out long-range strikes despite more than two weeks of pounding by US and Israeli weapons.

The Israeli military said it was targeting "Iranian regime infrastructure" with a new wave of strikes across Tehran, as well as Hezbollah sites in Beirut, a day after saying it had drawn up detailed plans ⁠for at least three more weeks of war with Iran.

According to Israeli media reports today (16 March), Israel's military targeted Iran's security chief Ali Larijani, but it was not clear if he was killed or wounded.

Neither Iran nor the Israeli military have commented on the reports.

Rockets and at least five drones targeted the US embassy in Baghdad early today, Iraqi security sources said, describing it as the most intense assault since the war began. Two US officials said no injuries were reported so far.

Trump surprised by Iran attacks on neighbours

Iran also targeted the United Arab Emirates, where attacks forced the temporary closure of airspace and a drone hit an oil facility in Fujairah, a key port for Emirati oil exports, for a second consecutive day.

The cascading disruptions threaten to completely sever the OPEC producer's remaining crude export outlet from global markets, potentially deepening a crisis that has sent energy prices surging.

UAE authorities said debris from an intercepted ballistic missile fell in Abu Dhabi's Bani Yas area, killing one Pakistani national, while a fire caused by a drone attack was being fought at Abu Dhabi's Shah gas field.

Trump said Iran's strikes against its neighbours, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait were a surprise.

However, Trump was warned that attacking Iran could trigger strikes against US Gulf allies, according to a US official and two sources familiar with US intelligence reports.

The US official, who like the other two requested anonymity to discuss the issue, said Trump was briefed before the war that striking Iran could trigger a broader regional conflict, especially if Tehran saw those countries condoning or ‌actively supporting the ⁠US bombardment.