Within days of a U.S.-Israel strike that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Tehran launched a massive, multi-pronged counterattack. Ballistic missiles rained across the Middle East: Iran fired a mix of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles and cruise missiles at U.S. bases and allied facilities around the Gulf, alongside waves of “kamikaze” drones. Gulf states from Bahrain to Kuwait reported incoming Iranian missiles. Video circulated of strikes on Bahrain’s U.S. Fifth Fleet HQ and Udeid Air Base in Qatar. In Kuwait and Jordan the skies buzzed with dozens of ballistic missiles, most intercepted but signaling Iran’s reach. At home, Israel came under rocket fire: a Shahed UAV fatally struck a Tel Aviv suburb and a missile hit a shelter in Beit Shemesh, killing eight. “All bases, facilities and assets of hostile forces in the region shall be regarded as legitimate military objectives,” Iran warned the UN Security Council in a recent letter, underscoring its broad target list.
Missile and Drone Arsenal Unleashed
Iran’s retaliation leveraged its vast missile and drone arsenal. Iranian media released footage from an IRGC “missile city” showing hundreds of missiles ready to launch. These included medium-range ballistic missiles like the liquid-fuel Ghadr-H and Emad (with ranges ~1,000–1,700 km) and solid-fuel systems like the Sejjil and Haj Qasem (each ~1,500–2,000 km). A land-attack cruise missile (the Paveh, range ~1,650 km) was also displayed. Shorter-range Fateh-series missiles (300–700 km) and anti-ship variants lurk on Iran’s shelves as well. In battle, these high-speed projectiles arrived within minutes, challenging defenses. UAE officials reported intercepting 97 ballistic missiles and 283 drones on one day, but noted that dozens of Iranian drones and a handful of missiles still hit targets. One analyst notes Iran likely “has several thousand short-range missiles and drones at the ready,” having built up massive stockpiles over years. In practice, Iran appears to have switched from sparing, telegraphed strikes to high-tempo mass attacks, treating U.S. bases, Gulf partners and Israeli cities as fair game. Hundreds of so-called Shahed-136 loitering munitions struck alongside missiles; at least 21 drones breached UAE air defences to hit civilian areas.
Gulf Infrastructure and Civilian Targets
The fallout shook Gulf city life. Iran deliberately struck civilian hubs as a show of force. Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah and the Burj Al Arab – icons of Gulf prosperity – were struck by falling debris and intercepted munitions. Night-time footage showed drones crashing into apartment buildings in Bahrain’s capital, Manama. International airports shut down: Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait’s terminals all sustained strikes, prompting airlines to ground flights. An Iranian drone attack even hit Oman’s new Duqm port – a neutral mediator – wounding a worker. Gulf governments scrambled air defences: Saudi Arabia said it had repelled a “blatant and cowardly” missile attack on Riyadh and its oil regions. Emirates announced it would shutter its embassy in Tehran and withdraw diplomats after Iranian missiles hit Dubai airport and surrounding areas. In short, Iran’s retaliation shattered the Gulf’s long-held image of stability, forcing even neutral states to brace for war.
Underground Missile Cities and Iran’s Hardened Arsenal
Iran’s retaliation exploited decades of preparation. Experts have documented that Iran has dozens of fortified underground missile bases – often called “missile cities” – carved into mountain ridges across western Iran. Clusters near Kermanshah, Lorestan and Hormozgan provinces are reported to contain tunnel bunkers and hardened silos. A recent analysis notes, “Iran disperses its arsenal across numerous sites, including underground ‘missile cities,’” with some complexes (e.g. near Haji Abad) geared toward targeting ships and Gulf ports. These subterranean networks allow Iran to produce, store and launch missiles from protected tunnels, sheltering them from airstrikes and making Israel’s 2024 air campaign less effective. In effect, Tehran has made its missile force more survivable – at the cost of being more vulnerable to tunneling into chokepoints. Iran’s leaders tout this as a deterrent: after all, their sizable arsenal (by one count “the largest in the Middle East”) is now hidden deep underground.
Proxy Fronts: Hezbollah and Houthis Enter the Fray
Iran’s friends have answered the call. In Lebanon, Hezbollah – long weakened by earlier conflicts – declared Khamenei’s killing a “red line” and struck back. The militia launched rockets and drones into northern Israel in retaliation. Israel replied with airstrikes on Hezbollah sites across Lebanon. In Yemen, Iran-aligned Houthi rebels announced they would resume missile and drone attacks on Red Sea shipping and on Israel in solidarity with Iran. Prior ceasefires with the West had paused their assaults on commercial vessels, but now they warn a new campaign will “take action in various theaters” to pressure Israel and disrupt Gulf trade. In effect, Tehran has opened multiple fronts: not only against U.S. and Israeli targets directly, but also via proxies. (Hezbollah’s full involvement remains cautious, but Houthi missiles have already hit several oil tankers off Oman and are impeding traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.)
Strait of Hormuz and Global Energy Shock
One strategic aim of Iran’s new campaign is clear: threaten the world’s oil lifelines. Iran warned all tankers to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, then launched strikes on at least three vessels transiting the Gulf of Oman. One strike on the tanker MKD Vyom killed a crew member and disabled the ship’s engines. These actions spiked fear of a wider energy crisis. In Monday trading, Brent crude surged roughly 7%, briefly topping $82 a barrel – its highest level in over a year – as traders feared major supply disruptions. Credit agency analysts warned Brent could trade in the $80–$90 range while the conflict burns. Over 200 oil and LNG tankers are now loitering near the Gulf, and international bodies are eyeing emergency stock releases to cap prices. In the short term, even airlines and insurance markets reeled: flights were rerouted around the Gulf, and routes via the Cape of Good Hope saw higher costs as insurers hiked premiums for the Red Sea. The economic fallout is immediate: global energy markets are on edge and some currencies (like India’s rupee) have tumbled in response to the Middle East jitters.
From Skirmish to Sustained Escalation
Analysts warn the latest Iranian barrage marks a qualitative shift from tit-for-tat strikes to prolonged war. As one think-tank report notes, Tehran now wields “short-range arsenals [that] enable it to hold at risk U.S. bases, forces, and partners around the Gulf,” and Iran has “perhaps several thousand” such missiles and drones poised for use. With its leadership decapitated, Iran’s remaining commanders seem intent on inflicting maximum pain to force US-Israel to reconsider. Even after Iran’s vast launch, U.S. Central Command reported minimal damage to American facilities, but U.S. and Gulf troops are now on high alert. Western allies (Britain, France, Germany) have pledged “proportionate defensive action” if Iranian strikes continue. The risk of regional escalation – from maritime mines to air engagements – looms large. For oil importers like India, and for the global economy, this conflagration in the Gulf heralds a new era of instability. In short, what began as a limited confrontation has erupted into a sustained and multifaceted Iranian counteroffensive – one that underscores Tehran’s strategy of leveraging missiles, drones and proxy networks to retaliate far beyond its borders
