SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
The Gulf Arab states have been the main target of Iran's retaliation against joint U.S.-Israeli strikes. So far, at least, five countries in the Middle East have been targeted by Iranian missiles - the UA (ph), Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar in the Gulf and Jordan. We're joined now by NPR's international correspondent Aya Batrawy in Dubai. Aya, thanks so much for being with us.
AYA BATRAWY, BYLINE: Hi. Thanks for having me.
SIMON: What do we know about these targets?
BATRAWY: Well, Scott, the Revolutionary Guard Corps says the targets included air bases across three Gulf Arab states, as well as the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. Have a listen to the sound (ph) of that attack in Bahrain that hit the Fifth Fleet's service center today.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
AUTOMATED VOICE: Missile threat warning. Please seek hardened shelter immediately. Shelter in place.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Non-English language spoken).
AUTOMATED VOICE: Missile threat warning.
BATRAWY: So this video that was posted online and confirmed by reporting by many others, says - you can hear them saying, you know, a national emergency alarming people to shelter in place. And similar directives were suggested for people as well to do that in Qatar, where the country there says they shot down waves of missiles targeting various areas of that small country. They host thousands of U.S. troops.
The UAE, where I'm based, was also targeted. Debris fell over the St. Regis Hotel area and other upscale neighborhoods of Abu Dhabi, and one person there was killed. And here in Abu Dhabi, just a few - sorry. Here in Dubai, just a few hours' drive from Abu Dhabi, I could hear the sound of explosions today that rattled my apartment, scaring my children. It was likely the sound of interceptors, but the UAE hasn't commented on that. But in total, Scott, Iran says it is targeting 14 U.S. positions across the region today.
SIMON: And, of course, as I don't have to tell you, Aya, this is a serious escalation compared to past conflicts between the U.S. and Iran. What else conceivably could happen?
BATRAWY: You could see shipping lanes being shut down, and even if the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil passes every day - even if that's not physically shut down by Iran, ships are already choosing not to transit through there, and we could see oil prices really going up. You know, countries like Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, they provide that oil to China and India, powering the global economy. You could also see Arab states, if pushed, retaliating. You know, some of the statements today said they reserve the right to respond. Now, this would spiral into a much larger regional war if that happens and possibly a global war.
A lot of these countries around the world have vested interests and stakes in the Gulf security because of energy. And for the economies in this region, this is a major blow. This is not what they want. You're already seeing airspace and flights being closed and canceled. Doha and Dubai are major key transit points for travelers in the world. Actually, Dubai's the world's busiest for international transit.
SIMON: Aya, is there any chance of diplomacy here?
BATRAWY: I mean, look, we know Oman has been mediating between Iran and the U.S. Other Gulf countries had been sending messages between the U.S. and Iran. We did hear Oman's foreign minister actually write on Twitter today - on X, saying he's dismayed by the coordinated U.S.-Israeli attacks. He said this is not in the interests of the U.S. He said, don't get sucked in further. And he wrote, this is not your war. But we did hear - and he was just, by the way, yesterday, meeting in Washington with Vice President Vance, and he told CBS, Iran had agreed to zero stockpiling of nuclear enrichment.
But still, after the launch of this morning's attacks, we heard from President Trump saying the objective is to eliminate what he called imminent threats from Iran. He said Iran was trying to rebuild its nuclear program and develop long-range missiles. But Gulf Arab countries have been clear. They did not want this war, even if they had their own real concerns about Iran as a neighbor. And Iran's foreign minister says that throughout all of this, today, he did speak with his counterparts across the region, across the Middle East today. Even so, Iran says American and Israeli assets and interests in the Middle East are now legitimate targets.
SIMON: NPR's Aya Batrawy in Dubai. Thank you, as always.
BATRAWY: Thank you, Scott. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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