After weeks of sustained missile and drone attacks on Gulf states, Iran appears to be escalating its campaign, amid heightened rhetoric from the US.
On Friday, the UAE — which has absorbed more projectiles from Iran than any other Gulf state — recorded the highest number of attacks since the early days of the conflict. In recent days, Iran’s shorter-range missiles and drones have damaged energy infrastructure, petrochemical plants, ports, telecoms, and desalination facilities around the Gulf.
In addition to being more frequent, the strikes “are increasingly precise and lethal, and able to avoid interception,” according to the research non-profit The Soufan Center. It is unclear what remains of Iran’s missile stockpiles, according to the Institute for the Study of War, after sustained efforts by Israel and the US to degrade Tehran’s firepower. Since the start of the conflict, Tehran has fired more than 5,000 missiles and drones at Gulf states, killing 27 people and injuring at least 274 others as of April 6.
