French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated that the country is ready to provide protection to the Gulf states and Jordan if necessary.
“France fully supports its allies who have become targets for missiles and drones from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Jordan,” he noted.
According to him, “France is ready to participate in their defense.”
Iran "knows exactly what it is doing" by attacking Gulf countries.
Rob Geisthardt Pinfold, a defense research specialist at King's College London, stated in an interview with Al Jazeera that Iran “knows exactly what it is doing” by attacking Gulf countries.
“They choose these countries because they consider them easy targets. It is easier to strike them than Israel,” he added.
“These states do not seek war, as this is not their conflict. Iran hopes they will want to reach a ceasefire as soon as possible and will pressure the Trump administration. However, there are currently no signs of this,” Pinfold continued.
He noted that at a rhetorical level, Gulf states demonstrate “strength” and “unity.”
“They are trying to show that they are united and capable of defending their interests. But in reality, they have serious disagreements regarding engagement with Iran,” he explained.
“Some countries will insist on the use of military force; however, Iran knows that they find themselves in a difficult position: if they intervene, they will be perceived as supporters of the conflict between the US and Israel. Thus, the possibilities for compromises sought by the main players are diminishing,” Pinfold added.
“They need to demonstrate that they are capable of defending their sovereignty and upholding their interests.”
Missile interceptions and air raid sirens across the Gulf amid rising attacks.
The morning in several Gulf cities began once again with a tense atmosphere.
Today in Doha, locals woke up to the sounds of explosions. Around 8 AM local time (05:00 GMT), two or three powerful explosions were heard, characteristic of intercepting drones or missiles by Patriot defense systems.
In Kuwait, an American F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet crashed, as evidenced by video footage: the aircraft spins and falls, its tail on fire, with a column of smoke trailing behind it. In another video, two pilots can be seen successfully ejecting; they were later found alive and safe with the help of locals.
The incident occurred a few hours ago. Another video has emerged, apparently capturing the crash of another aircraft in Kuwait. The country's Ministry of Defense confirmed that several crashes of American planes occurred during the morning.
So far, at least two separate cases have been confirmed, although the videos are still being verified. Reports align with the statement from the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense regarding coordination with the US to clarify all circumstances of the incident. Search and rescue teams have been organized, and officials stated that all pilots were able to eject safely.
Additionally, there have been reports of smoke coming from the US embassy in Kuwait, and video shows rescue teams working at the scene. The situation there is rapidly changing.
In Bahrain, attacks have also been recorded, and air raid sirens have sounded, as the country has come under fire from Iran in response to US and Israeli strikes. This occurred just three days into the conflict.
Saudi Arabia temporarily closed the Ras Tanura refinery following a drone attack.
According to information from Saudi state television, authorities decided to temporarily close the Ras Tanura oil refinery, located near Dammam, after a drone attack.
Earlier, the country's Ministry of Defense reported that a fire at the oil processing facility occurred due to debris from two intercepted drones.
The Israeli army is considering all options for a ground invasion of Lebanon.
Israeli army spokesman Effi Defrin reported that Israel has mobilized about 100,000 reservists and is prepared for all possible actions, both defensively and offensively.
“All options are being considered,” he added.
Growth forecasts for Bahrain and the UAE's non-oil sectors downgraded amid Gulf conflict: JPMorgan
Following the escalation of the conflict with Iran over the weekend, leading financial firm JPMorgan revised its growth forecasts for the non-oil economies of Gulf countries for the current year, warning of the possibility of further deterioration.
The bank lowered its growth forecast for the region's economy excluding the oil sector by 0.3 percentage points. The most significant reductions were noted in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates — by 0.5 and 0.4 percentage points, respectively.
“Risks have increased in various directions and will largely depend on the outcome of the conflict,” JPMorgan analysts stated.
Additionally, the bank does not expect the Central Bank of Turkey to lower interest rates at its meeting on March 12. The forecast for the interest rate at the end of 2026 was revised from 30 to 31 percent, with expectations that inflation will reach 25 percent by that time, compared to the previous forecast of 24 percent.
“Given Israel's active involvement in the current conflict, it is likely that the Bank of Israel will not lower interest rates in March either,” JPMorgan added.
Casualties in Iran exceed 550: Red Crescent.
According to the Iranian Red Crescent, at least 555 people have died as a result of US and Israeli strikes on the country.
More detailed information is expected in the coming hours.
Amazon cloud services disrupted in Bahrain and the UAE.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) reports power and connectivity issues in its data centers in Bahrain and the UAE amid Iran's retaliatory actions.
Power outages occurred in two zones of Amazon's cloud division in the UAE, according to information published on the company's network status page.
According to AWS, one zone in the UAE was affected after “objects” struck the data center, causing sparks and a fire, after which power was shut down.
The company urged customers to use its services in other regions and stated that restoration is expected within “a few hours.”
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