Why did Iran bomb Dubai? A Middle East expert explains the regional alliances at play 
Marking a crippling increase in both aerial combat and maritime brinkmanship, the Israel-Iran conflict entered its twelfth day on March 11, 2026. Targeting Iranian missile capability and proxy strongholds in Lebanon, Israel carried out intensive airstrikes that claimed more than 570 lives and displaced around 750,000 individuals. In a strong reprisal, Iran fired a battery of one-ton ballistic missile warheads targeting important Israeli cities like Jerusalem. Although many were intercepted, the sheer volume of the onslaught indicated a turn toward total war, reinforced by Prime Minister Netanyahu's public call for the Iranian people to overthrow their government.
The Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint accounting for 20% of the world's oil supply, has now essentially been paralyzed by the crisis. Using drones, rockets, and mines, Iranian forces attacked at least three ships, among them what Tehran described as a "maritime ambulance," resulting in several crew members vanishing. Direct intervention by the U.S. military involved engaging and destroying Iranian minelayers to clear passage for merchant mariners who are now under severe fire and sinking risk. The strait is essentially closed to commercial traffic despite these initiatives, hence forming a bottleneck that has caused worldwide energy markets to spiral downward.
As oil prices fluctuate around USD 90 per barrel, the geopolitical and economic consequences are felt worldwide beyond the near battlefield. U.S. bases in Gulf states have been criticized; Hezbollah has increased its rocket barrage from the north, therefore aggravating worries of a multi-front regional collapse. Although former President Trump has promised a quick resolution of the conflict, he noted that "unfinished business" remains, therefore indicating a lengthy involvement. The international community is still on high alert for a general regional explosion as Iran now threatens to target worldwide banking systems and uphold its naval blockade.
