Qatar's military intercepted and destroyed two Iranian Sukhoi Su-24 bomber aircraft on Monday, marking the first instance of a Gulf state bringing down Iranian warplanes. The defence ministry confirmed the shootdowns as Tehran expanded its retaliatory strikes across the region following devastating US and Israeli operations that targeted Iran's leadership. The escalating conflict has claimed six lives and left dozens wounded, with missiles and drones striking ports, airports, residential areas, hotels and military installations across multiple Gulf nations.
The crisis took a dramatic economic turn when QatarEnergy, among the globe's largest liquefied natural gas exporters, was forced to suspend production after drone attacks struck two of its facilities. The disruption sent European natural gas prices surging by more than 50 per cent, while oil prices climbed nearly nine per cent amid growing fears of wider supply interruptions. Gulf armed forces have been primarily focused on intercepting the hundreds of projectiles launched by Iran in its ongoing bombardment.
Saudi Arabia signalled it could strike back after a drone hit the Ras Tanura refinery — one of the region's most significant petroleum processing facilities — operated by Saudi Aramco, forcing a partial shutdown. A source with close ties to the Saudi government cautioned that any "concerted" Iranian assault on oil infrastructure could provoke a direct military response, specifically warning that Riyadh would target "Iranian oil facilities if Iran mounts a concerted attack on Aramco".
In Abu Dhabi, authorities contained a fire at the Musaffah fuel tank terminal caused by a drone strike, reporting no injuries and no operational disruption. Explosions reverberated across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Manama throughout Monday, with security analyst Anna Jacobs describing the conflict as a "nightmare scenario" for the Gulf. In a separate incident, three US F-15E Strike Eagles were accidentally downed by Kuwaiti air defences in a friendly-fire mishap late on Sunday, though all crew members parachuted to safety, according to US Central Command.
Kuwait sustained significant damage on Monday, with 19 people injured according to its health ministry, while shrapnel landed at the Mina Al Ahmadi refinery, wounding two workers without halting production. Bahrain recorded its first fatality when wreckage from an intercepted missile ignited a fire aboard a vessel in the port city of Salman, killing one Asian worker and critically injuring two others. Italy announced it was assisting with the evacuation of hundreds of its nationals from the United Arab Emirates, where flights had been grounded since Saturday, though limited services resumed from Dubai and Abu Dhabi on Monday, leaving thousands of tourists stranded.
Despite the unprecedented wave of attacks that has shaken a region traditionally regarded as a bastion of stability in the volatile Middle East, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi maintained in a conversation with his Chinese counterpart that Tehran harboured "no hostility" towards the Gulf states.
