Andrew Dowell

They've claimed to have sunk a number of Iranian naval ships, and they've been pounding away with sort of increasing ferocity on the structures of the regime's control, namely like IRGC and other security services facilities that are needed to keep the population in line.

Yeah, Iran had made clear going into this that if they were attacked, even in a small way, that they would immediately regionalize the conflict.

And they're delivering on that.

The UAE in particular has come under a heavy bombardment.

Last night they were saying some maybe 700 drones and missiles have been fired at the UAE in just the first 36 hours of conflict.

Dozens to hundreds more have been fired at Kuwait and Bahrain.

Even Oman got hit a couple of times and then as far away as Cyprus.

And it seems clear from the types of targeting that it's not just military targets.

The U.S.

does have military bases in a lot of these places.

But yeah, they're also aiming at cultural symbols like the Borj Al Arab building in Dubai, the Palm in Dubai.

and hotels and other economic infrastructure elsewhere.

So it's an enormous problem for the Gulf, honestly.

These countries, particularly the UAE, have built themselves as an oasis, calm in the middle of a very turbulent and violent Middle East.

The UAE is a commercial hub for the world.

Dubai is a massively international city.

The airport is the busiest one in the world for international travelers, second busiest in the world, period.

And it's been hit.

An overwhelming percentage of the population is expatriate.

So there's a real risk to these countries that people's opinions could change, their reputation could change, and they could start being seen like a lot of the Middle East as a place to be avoided as opposed to one to flock to and bring money to.