As Iran Strikes UAE and Israel, the War’s Second Month Looms Dark

With the conflict between Iran and the United States approaching the end of its third week, Saturday’s events offered little hope of a quick resolution. Iran launched ballistic missiles at the UAE and fired rockets at Israel, while US warplanes continued bombing Kharg Island and Israeli jets struck targets across Iran. The war had already killed more than 1,400 people in Iran, 13 in Israel, and roughly 20 across the Gulf — and with no talks under way and no end date offered, the prospect of a second month of war was becoming grimly real.
Iran’s attack on Fujairah in the UAE was the most dramatic escalation of the day. The emirate’s major oil port had its loading operations suspended after Iranian ballistic missiles struck near the facility, sending dark smoke rising over the coastline. Iran’s military warned civilians near ports and US installations to evacuate and threatened strikes on any Gulf energy facility with American ties. The UAE condemned the attacks as terrorism but continued to pursue restraint, seeking a diplomatic resolution even as its ports burned.
President Trump used the day to reinforce his public posture. He said in public remarks that US strikes had effectively demolished Kharg Island and suggested further attacks were possible. He called on China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, and warned Iran that its remaining oil infrastructure could be destroyed if the waterway was not reopened. The Strait of Hormuz had been blocked since the war began on February 28, driving oil prices toward $120 per barrel with no relief in sight.
Israeli warplanes struck targets across Iran on Saturday, killing at least 15 people in an Isfahan factory. Iran fired rockets at Israel in return. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth described Iran’s leadership as “desperate and hiding” and claimed the new supreme leader had been wounded. Iranian officials confirmed the injury but disputed its severity. The USS Tripoli and 2,500 additional US marines were heading to the region. Iran’s foreign minister called on Arab states to expel US forces, adding a diplomatic dimension to what was primarily a military confrontation.
The war’s spreading consequences were felt from Lebanon to Baghdad. Lebanon’s crisis deepened, with 800 killed and 850,000 displaced from Israeli strikes on Hezbollah. The US embassy in Baghdad was struck overnight, and Americans were ordered to leave Iraq immediately. Six US troops died in an aircraft crash in western Iraq. Energy analysts warned oil could climb to $150 if the conflict continued on its current trajectory. With Trump offering no timeline and no negotiating partner in sight, the outlook for a swift end to the war remained bleak.