A series of retaliatory attacks across the Middle East has left at least 12 civilians dead, most of them foreign migrant workers. The violence followed a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran on February 28, prompting Iran to target American military bases and embassies in several Gulf countries. Among the victims were Pakistani driver Murib Zaman in the United Arab Emirates, Bangladeshi cleaner Mosharraf Hossain in Saudi Arabia, and an 11-year-old Iranian girl in Kuwait. Only one of the reported fatalities was a local citizen.

The Gulf region’s economies rely heavily on millions of migrant workers from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, who make up a large share of the population. Despite advanced air defense systems, Iranian missiles and drones have struck civilian infrastructure, including hotels and a water purification plant. Bahrain’s Interior Ministry confirmed a March 10 attack that killed a 29-year-old woman, while Iran maintained it was only targeting U.S. military facilities.

Low-wage migrant workers remain the most vulnerable, as their crowded housing and essential service jobs leave them exposed to missile strikes and fires with few safe evacuation options.