An opinion piece by Joseph Massad argues that Gulf Arab states hosting U.S. military bases are facing greater danger rather than protection. The article claims that the United States prioritizes Israel’s security over that of Arab nations and uses regional tensions to intensify hostility toward Iran. It alleges that American and Israeli aggression in Iran, supported by U.S. defense and energy corporations, has drawn Arab countries into a conflict that primarily serves Western strategic and economic interests.

The report highlights that only Oman condemned the U.S.-Israeli assault on Iran as a violation of international law, while most Arab governments remained silent. Iran’s retaliatory strikes have targeted U.S. bases in several Arab states, which the author says have surrendered parts of their sovereignty by allowing foreign military presence. The piece also notes that Arab leaders’ alignment with Washington and Tel Aviv has left their nations vulnerable to attacks and internal instability.

According to the article, Russia’s foreign minister told Arab diplomats that their alliance with the U.S. and Israel is the real source of their insecurity, warning that continued dependence on Western powers will deepen regional losses.

At least seven people were killed in an Israeli attack on the southern Lebanese city of Al-Haniyah, according to the Health Emergency Operations Center under Lebanon’s Ministry of Health. The agency reported that among the dead were six Syrians, including one child.

In a separate incident, two police officers were killed in Iraq’s Mosul city following a U.S.-Israeli strike on a police facility, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said in a statement cited by Al Jazeera. The ministry confirmed that the attack directly targeted an Iraqi police installation.

The incidents come amid heightened regional tensions, with both Lebanon and Iraq reporting casualties from strikes linked to Israel and its allies.

Turkey has expressed its willingness to play a constructive role in ending the ongoing war in the Middle East. According to Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Ankara is eager to intensify diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis. The ministry reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently held a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, during which he thanked Turkey for its mediation initiatives aimed at halting the conflict.

Earlier, Pakistan announced that a high-level meeting would be held in Islamabad on March 29 and 30 to discuss ways to reduce the intensity of the war. Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt are expected to participate in the talks. The development highlights growing regional diplomatic engagement to contain the conflict.

Turkey faces a delicate balancing act as it navigates the crisis, sharing a long border with Iran while also being a key member of the Western military alliance NATO. This dual position underscores Ankara’s cautious approach in pursuing mediation efforts amid heightened regional tensions.

Analysts have warned that the Suez Canal and other key global trade routes could face serious threats if Yemen’s Houthi rebels become directly involved in the ongoing war involving Iran. Mohammad Elmasry, a professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, told Al Jazeera that the Houthis possess significant capabilities demonstrated over the past two and a half years. He noted that they could potentially close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, effectively blocking access from the Red Sea to the Suez Canal.

Elmasry explained that such a move would create two major chokepoints— the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal— both vital for international trade. He added that continued Houthi attacks could increase pressure on Israel’s air defense systems, which are already strained by missile strikes from Hezbollah and Iran. If attacks were to originate from Yemen as well, the situation could become even more complex.

According to Elmasry, Israel might politically welcome this escalation, as it could expand the scope of the conflict and discourage the United States from withdrawing too soon.

Israel’s military reported on Saturday that a missile was launched from Yemen toward Israel, marking the first such attack since Israel and the United States began joint strikes against Iran. The army said its air defense systems were active to intercept the missile. The statement did not specify the extent of damage or casualties.

The report came as Iran and Hezbollah continued a series of attacks on Israel from Friday night into early Saturday. Sirens were heard for the third time around Beersheba and near Israel’s main nuclear research center. The Iran-backed Houthi group, which has controlled Yemen’s capital Sanaa since 2014, has not claimed responsibility for the launch and had not previously taken direct part in the current conflict.

The development signals a possible widening of the regional conflict, though the source did not indicate any immediate escalation beyond the reported missile launch.

As the United States-Israeli war on Iran enters its fourth week, global oil and gas markets face mounting pressure due to the near-total halt of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway, which normally carries 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas, has seen traffic plunge by more than 95 percent since Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared it closed to certain nations. About 2,000 ships remain stranded, while some vessels from India, Pakistan, China, and Malaysia have been granted limited passage after securing Tehran’s approval.

In response, regional producers are turning to three key pipelines to bypass the strait: Saudi Arabia’s East-West Petroline, the UAE’s Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline, and Iraq’s Kirkuk-Ceyhan line to Turkiye. Combined, these routes can move around 9 million barrels per day—less than half the 20 million normally shipped through Hormuz. Saudi Arabia has sharply increased Petroline flows, but risks persist from potential Houthi attacks near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The UAE’s Fujairah exports have risen modestly, while Iraq’s pipeline remains underused.

Despite these efforts, analysts note that the pipelines’ limited capacity and vulnerability to missile and drone strikes mean they cannot fully replace the disrupted seaborne exports.

The United States and Israel have entered the 27th day of their joint military campaign against Iran, with reports indicating growing diplomatic friction between Washington and Tel Aviv over peace negotiations. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that Islamabad is mediating indirect talks between the US and Iran, with a 15-point American proposal already delivered to Tehran. Turkey and Egypt are also participating in the mediation process.

Iran’s state broadcaster reported that Tehran has rejected the US proposal and instead presented five conditions for ending the war, including a full halt to aggression, compensation for damages, and recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, Israel’s Defense Minister claimed responsibility for killing senior IRGC officer Brigadier General Alireza Tangsiri, though Iran has not confirmed the death.

The conflict has caused nearly 1,937 deaths in Iran, according to its health ministry, while tensions between US and Israeli leaderships have surfaced, with reports that Donald Trump rebuked Benjamin Netanyahu over a proposal to incite protests in Iran.

Iran has launched intense attacks on American facilities across several Middle Eastern countries in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes, heightening fears over water security in the region. Earlier this month, an Iranian drone strike severely damaged Bahrain’s desalination plant, bringing the issue of water safety to the forefront in Gulf nations where desalinated water is essential for daily life.

According to a recent Moody’s report, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries rely heavily on desalination for most of their drinking water, with hundreds of coastal plants providing the majority of the world’s processed water. The report warns that this dependence poses a serious security risk, as the plants are concentrated along vulnerable coastlines with limited short-term alternatives. The recent conflict has exposed how easily these facilities could become targets, threatening both water and energy supplies.

Moody’s notes that disruptions in water supply could quickly affect electricity generation and industrial output. Governments are urged to take swift and costly measures to protect water infrastructure, as prolonged conflict could severely impact weaker economies like Bahrain’s.

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Al Budaiwi has accused Iran of crossing all red lines by closing the Strait of Hormuz and launching direct attacks on neighboring countries. Speaking at a GCC meeting in Riyadh on Thursday, he described Iran’s actions as a grave violation of international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Al Budaiwi said Iran imposed tariffs on passage through the strait, calling it direct aggression against GCC states. He added that several commercial vessels had been hijacked or attacked, severely disrupting international maritime traffic.

Al Budaiwi emphasized the global economic importance of GCC countries, which he described as the “economic lungs” of the world. According to him, GCC members produce 16 billion barrels of crude oil daily—22 percent of global output—and export 27 percent of the world’s oil, about 11.5 billion barrels per day. He warned that Iran’s provocative actions threaten this vital supply chain.

The GCC views Iran’s attacks as not only escalating regional tensions but also marking a turning point in GCC-Iran relations, with civilian casualties reported from missile and drone strikes.

Amid ongoing Middle East tensions, Iran has warned that any attack on its power plants would trigger retaliatory strikes on critical infrastructure in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Analysts suggest that such threats could most severely affect major cities across the Gulf, where electricity networks are deeply interconnected.

The GCC’s shared power grid means that a major outage in one country could quickly spread to others. Experts identify this interdependence as a key weakness. In nations such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait, electricity is vital not only for households but also for industry, transport, and security systems. Another major risk lies in water supply, as most potable water in the region comes from desalination plants linked to power stations. Any disruption could therefore threaten both electricity and water, potentially triggering a humanitarian crisis.

Analysts interpret Iran’s warning as a strategic signal to the United States and its allies, emphasizing that escalating conflict would impose costs across the entire region.

Iran launched seven rounds of missile attacks on Israel within less than ten hours, beginning at midnight on Monday, according to the report. The final round targeted the city of Dimona, while additional strikes hit Tel Aviv. Following the attacks in central Israel, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) deployed rescue teams to the affected areas. Footage from Tel Aviv showed damaged buildings, fires, and black smoke.

In response, Israel continued its own air operations against Iran. On Monday night, the Israeli Air Force struck more than 50 targets inside Iran, which Israel said included missile launch sites and other military facilities. The IDF stated that since the start of the war, it has hit over 3,000 targets in Iran.

The report highlights the intensifying exchange of attacks between the two countries, with both sides claiming to target military infrastructure. The situation underscores a rapidly escalating regional conflict with no immediate sign of de-escalation.

The Middle East saw a sharp escalation in hostilities on Monday, with Israel launching what it described as a 'massive attack' on Tehran. Explosions were reported in the Iranian capital, and AFP journalists observed thick black smoke. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates said they intercepted new attacks, while debris from a downed missile injured an Indian national in Abu Dhabi. In Iran’s Bandar Abbas region, state media reported one death in a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on a broadcasting center.

International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol warned that the global economy faces a major threat from the ongoing energy crisis, comparing it to the oil shocks of the 1970s and the 2022 Ukraine war. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed support against Iranian missile and drone threats. Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accused Iran’s Revolutionary Guard of directing Hezbollah’s military operations.

Israel’s military chief said ground operations in Lebanon will intensify, calling them “just the beginning,” while a spokesperson predicted fighting against Iran and Hezbollah could continue for several weeks.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed responsibility for drone and missile attacks targeting Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base and the US Fifth Fleet stationed in Bahrain. According to an IRGC spokesperson from the Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters, the Saudi base serves as a key hub for US military operations and intelligence aircraft, prompting the group to launch ballistic missiles at the site.

At the same time, Yemen’s Houthi-linked news agency Al-Masirah reported that the Iran-backed group carried out an attack near Israel’s Ben Gurion Air Base, striking what it described as the ‘Zionist Aerospace Industries Center’ using Arash-2 attack drones. The report claimed the drones caused significant destruction.

However, none of these attack claims have been independently verified. As of the time of reporting, neither US nor Israeli officials had issued any formal comments. The multiple, unconfirmed attack claims have heightened concerns over regional security and potential escalation across the Middle East.

Foreign ministers of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Pakistan held a key meeting in Riyadh on Thursday to discuss forming a regional security alliance. The discussion took place on the sidelines of an Islamic nations’ conference, focusing on how to strengthen cooperation in defense and security matters.

According to diplomatic sources, Turkey initiated the idea last year, seeking to include Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, with Egypt later joining the process. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the proposed alliance would serve as a security platform to enhance defense and military collaboration, though it would not be a formal defense pact like NATO.

The meeting also addressed the ongoing war in the Middle East, U.S.-Israeli military actions against Iran, and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes. Participants discussed possible joint measures to manage the region’s security challenges. Observers noted that such cooperation could reshape strategic dynamics amid continuing instability and conflict in the Middle East.

Iran’s military has claimed responsibility for a drone attack targeting facilities of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the state-owned defense and space technology company. According to a statement cited by Iran’s official news agency, the attack struck IAI installations located near Ben Gurion International Airport. The same statement also claimed that a US surveillance aircraft stationed at Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base was targeted.

Iran did not provide details about the nature of the attack or the extent of any damage. Al Jazeera reported that it could not independently verify the claims, and there were no immediate responses from Israel or the United States regarding the incident.

The report comes amid heightened regional tensions, with recent incidents involving drone interceptions in Saudi Arabia and military clashes in Lebanon. However, the immediate impact or potential escalation following Iran’s latest claim remains unclear.