Iran fires missiles across Middle East after US Israeli strikes
Gulf states intercept attacks while debris kills civilian in Abu Dhabi, Regional security bill spreads through energy and logistics premiums
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Iran’s retaliation for US and Israeli strikes has spilled across the region, with missile launches reported toward at least six countries hosting American forces and infrastructure, according to Business Insider. The UAE said its air defences intercepted ballistic missiles and that one person was killed by falling debris in Abu Dhabi, while Qatar said it stopped three waves of attacks and Jordan reported multiple debris incidents but no civilian casualties.
The pattern is familiar: Washington and Jerusalem can choose escalation on a timetable that fits domestic politics, while the bill is distributed through energy markets, insurance pricing and disrupted logistics that land hardest on countries that did not vote for the decision. Even when air-defence systems work, they do not work for free. Interceptors, heightened alert levels, rerouted flights and port slowdowns become recurring operating costs, and the risk premium is priced into fuel, shipping and trade finance long before any formal damage assessment is complete.
Iran’s choice of targets also reflects the constraints of the moment. Hitting US-linked facilities in Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Jordan and Kuwait signals capability and intent without requiring a direct conventional contest with the US military. The IRGC’s statements about striking bases are designed for deterrence and domestic legitimacy; the region’s governments, by contrast, are forced into public reassurance campaigns while quietly absorbing the costs of air defence and the political risk of hosting foreign forces.
Europe sits downstream of this mechanism. It is not the immediate target of missiles, but it is a primary customer for Middle East energy and global shipping. Every new round of warnings to shelter in place, every temporary airspace restriction and every headline about bases under attack turns into higher freight rates and more expensive hedging for airlines, importers and manufacturers.
The strikes also narrow the exit ramp. Once the objective is framed as preventing Iran from “ever” doing something—such as maintaining a missile program or reaching nuclear latency—success becomes a political claim rather than a verifiable military endpoint. That makes escalation easier to start than to finish.
By Saturday night, the UAE was publishing images of intercepted missiles while airlines and insurers recalculated routes and premiums in real time.