The Gulf’s tourism sector is expected to take a significant short-term hit as regional conflict disrupts air travel, weakens traveller confidence and forces widespread flight cancellations, but analysts say regional markets retain the financial strength and infrastructure needed for recovery once hostilities ease.
Israel said on Tuesday it had killed Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani in an air strike, while Tehran signalled it was rejecting ceasefire overtures conveyed through intermediaries.
Oil prices rose on Monday as investors weighed renewed geopolitical risk despite US President Donald Trump urging other countries to join efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran said the strategic waterway remained open only to countries that are not directly involved in attacks against it.
Dubai Civil Aviation Authority announced Monday morning the temporary suspension of flights at Dubai International Airport as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of all passengers and staff.
India's Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Sunday cancelled remaining Class 12 board examinations (scheduled between March 16 and April 10), including papers earlier postponed in several West Asian countries including Bahrain and other GCC countries and Iran amid the ongoing regional conflict.
US President Donald Trump threatened further strikes on Iran's Kharg Island oil export hub and urged allies to deploy warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz, an artery for global energy supplies, as Tehran vowed to intensify its response.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday American forces had destroyed military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island, Tehran’s main oil export terminal, while warning he could also target the island’s petroleum infrastructure if Iran or its allies continue threatening shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, sending fresh tremors through oil markets.
Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Sayyid Mojtaba Khamenei, has signalled that Tehran intends to continue using the threat of closing the Strait of Hormuz as a key strategic lever in the ongoing conflict.
Bahrain's Ministry of Interior has said that the Iranian aggression targeted fuel tanks at a facility in the Muharraq Governorate. Authorities concerned are taking the required steps, it said.
In the Strait of Hormuz, hundreds of ships appear on maps where they should not exist. GPS signals that tankers rely on to navigate safely are being scrambled, revealing a new battlefield of invisible electronic warfare. What was once a tool for convenience has become a potential hazard, says an expert.
