Wall Street Journal says Gulf U.S. allies are preparing for a possible
large-scale U.S. strike on Iran and anticipate Iranian retaliatory attacks on
Gulf economic and civilian infrastructure as soon as this week. With diplomacy
stalled and both Washington and Tehran warning any escalation would be fiercer
than before, Gulf governments have increased security measures. Qatar, the UAE
and others are running drills, including airport security exercises. Some
attendees at a major Abu Dhabi energy conference cut visits short on government
advice. Riyadh will keep schools online this week. Dutch and Belgian embassies
warned security could deteriorate rapidly amid Houthi threats. UAE presidential
foreign policy adviser Anwar Gargash said the country hopes for a diplomatic
outcome but is preparing for the worst. These steps raise near‑term risk to Gulf
infrastructure and add potential for regional market and energy volatility.
