Today in Focus Chaos in the Gulf
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Mar 3, 2026 Julian Borger, senior international correspondent at The Guardian with decades covering Middle East conflicts, walks through the fallout from the assassination and Iran’s missile and drone strikes. He maps who was hit across the Gulf. He explores regional fractures, economic shocks, and the risks of wider escalation.
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Expat's Panic As Dubai's Calm Shattered
- Ed, an expat in Dubai, described being woken by loud bangs, emergency alerts and watching the nearby Fairmont Hotel explode from his car sunroof view.
- His immediate panic and evacuation capture how quickly the Gulf's marketed image of safety collapsed for residents during the strikes.
Assassination Triggered Widespread But Largely Intercepted Retaliation
- The crisis began after the US and Israeli assassination of Iran's supreme leader, provoking Iranian missile and drone strikes across the Gulf that mostly failed due to strong regional air defenses.
- Julian Borger compares this to Libya's downfall and warns that weakening Iran could produce far worse regional chaos given Iran's power and strategic position.
Economic Shock Threatens Gulf Safe Haven Model
- The strikes raised oil prices, disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and closed Dubai Airport, hitting tourism and trade that Gulf states rely on for their safe-haven image.
- Julian warns these economic hits risk reversing decades of Gulf marketing to expats and investors and could push states toward direct involvement against Iran.