Iran Responds to U.S. Threats Against Oil Facilities With New Attacks on Gulf States
March 15, 2026 – Gulf states reported fresh missile and drone attacks on Sunday after Tehran threatened to expand its campaign and called for the evacuation of three major ports in the United Arab Emirates.
Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE warned residents they were working to intercept incoming projectiles, a day after Iran demanded the evacuation of the ports, marking the first time it directly threatened assets of a neighboring non‑U.S. country.
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said its systems intercepted and destroyed 10 drones flying over Riyadh and the kingdom’s eastern region. Bahrain reported intercepting 125 missiles and 203 drones since the start of Iran’s attacks, which have killed two people in Bahrain and 24 others in neighboring Gulf states.
Formula 1 races scheduled for April in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were canceled due to the conflict, the sport’s governing body announced. On Saturday, smoke was seen rising near a major UAE energy facility, hours after U.S. strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island. Local authorities said debris from a successfully intercepted drone caused a fire, without specifying the location.
Iran accused the United States of using “ports, docks, and hideouts” in the UAE to launch attacks on Kharg Island, home to Iran’s main oil export terminal, though it provided no evidence. Gulf states hosting U.S. bases denied authorizing the use of their territory or airspace for military operations against Iran. “This reflects a confused policy that has lost its way and lacks wisdom,” wrote Anwar Gargash, adviser to the UAE president, on social media.
Amid rising global anxiety over oil prices and supply, U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday he expects China, France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and other nations to send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz “open and safe.” Britain responded that it was discussing “a range of options” with allies to secure maritime transport. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged neighbors to “expel foreign aggressors,” dismissing Trump’s appeal as “a plea.”
Iran’s joint military command reiterated threats to strike “oil, economic, and energy infrastructure” linked to the U.S. in the region if its own facilities are targeted. Overnight, Israel and Iran were hit by airstrikes, while clashes erupted between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. In Sidon, emergency workers inspected a damaged apartment after an Israeli airstrike, as thick smoke filled the building.
Despite heavy bombardments since the U.S.‑Israeli offensive began on February 28, Tehran has rejected Trump’s claim that its military capacity was “100%” destroyed. Iran’s attacks have nearly paralyzed shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, driving oil prices up 40% and shaking the global economy.
According to Iran’s Health Ministry, more than 1,200 people have been killed by U.S. and Israeli strikes, though the figures could not be independently verified. The U.S. military has lost 13 personnel, including six aboard a refueling plane that crashed in Iraq in what officials said was not due to hostile fire. The UN refugee agency reports 3.2 million people displaced in Iran, most fleeing the capital and other cities.
The Pentagon says more than 15,000 targets in Iran have been struck by U.S. and Israeli forces. U.S. media reported that the Pentagon has deployed the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli and about 2,500 Marines to the region.
