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 co

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.