Zim GBC News | International Desk
Middle East – The Middle East is on the brink of a full-scale conflagration after Iran launched drone and missile attacks on the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military installation in the region, vowing to open “the gates of hell” on America and Israel.
The strikes, confirmed by Iranian forces, targeted the strategic base which hosts up to 10,000 troops and serves as the forward headquarters of U.S. Central Command.
While there were no immediate reports of casualties, the attack marks a significant escalation in a conflict that is rapidly spiraling out of control.
‘The War is Still On’
The assault on Al Udeid was framed as direct retaliation for U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian territory. In a fiery warning broadcast on state television, Ali Mohammad Naini of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared,
“The gates of hell will open more and more, moment by moment, upon the United States and Israel.”
The conflict has since expanded across the region, with Iran launching hundreds of drones toward Israel and U.S. positions, as well as toward neighboring states including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
In response, Israel carried out fresh airstrikes on Tehran, warning civilians to evacuate areas near the Hakimiya Industrial Zone and Payam Airport in Karaj. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group in Lebanon, has also joined the fray, prompting Israeli retaliation that has reportedly killed dozens.
Global Shockwaves
The widening war has sent shockwaves through the global economy. Iran has ordered the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy “chokepoint” through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil passes. Oil prices have surged, with U.S. gasoline prices jumping to $3.11 per gallon.
The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, confirmed “some recent damage” at Iran’s Natanz enrichment facility but reported no radiological consequences. Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department has ordered the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and families from Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Jordan and the UAE, urging American citizens to leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries.
Casualties Mount
The human toll is already devastating. According to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, at least 787 people have been killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes. Iranian missile attacks have killed 11 people in Israel. The U.S. military has confirmed six American troop fatalities, while additional civilian casualties have been reported in the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain.
In Qatar, Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari vowed that the strikes on the gas-rich nation “will not go unanswered.”
Zelensky Fears ‘Forgotten War’
As the world’s attention pivots to the Middle East, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has voiced grave concerns that his country’s defense against Russia’s invasion could be fatally undermined.
In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Zelensky warned that Ukraine could struggle to source vital air defence missiles.
“We could find ourselves having difficulty obtaining missiles and weapons to defend our skies,” he said.
“The Americans and their allies in the Middle East might need them to defend themselves, for example Patriot missiles.”
He also expressed fear that Ukraine’s allies could become distracted. “Of course, it’s a risk,” Zelensky said of the West forgetting Ukraine.
“But I hope the Iranian crisis remains a limited operation and doesn’t turn into a long war. We know first-hand how bloody it risks being.”
Zelensky noted that during previous strikes on Iran, “missile delivery programs for us were slowed down. It hasn’t happened yet, but I fear it could happen again.”
A Complex Web of Alliances
While the conflict presents new dangers for Kyiv, Zelensky also identified a potential strategic benefit. “I think attacking Iranian military targets was a good decision,” he said, noting that Iran supplies Russia with tens of thousands of Shahed drones used to attack Ukrainian cities.
Analysts, however, point out that Russia now produces Shaheds domestically and may actually benefit from the conflict. Sustained high oil prices, driven by the Strait of Hormuz closure, could fuel Moscow’s war machine. The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War noted that high prices could “keep Russia economically afloat.”
John Lough, head of foreign policy at the New Eurasian Strategies Centre, suggested Russian President Vladimir Putin may be calculating his response carefully. “Putin’s priority is to preserve the relationship with Trump,” Lough said. “In return for not standing in Trump’s way in Iran, he can reasonably expect Washington to put more pressure on Ukraine to accept his terms for peace.”
‘Too Late’
On Truth Social, U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed reports of dwindling American arms, claiming an “unlimited supply” of weaponry. He also asserted that Iran’s leadership was “gone” and that Tehran was seeking talks, adding: “Too late.”
As diplomatic channels remain fraught and the sound of drone strikes echoes from the Gulf to the Mediterranean, the world watches a powder keg ignite—with no clear end in sight.
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