The United Arab Emirates attacked Iran for the first time since the beginning of the war in the Middle East

The regional campaign against Iran is expanding: today (Sunday) the United Arab Emirates carried out an attack on Iranian territory for the first time, when the target was a water desalination plant. The attack, which was carried out in response to Tehran’s missile and UAV attacks against the Gulf states, marks a step up in the regional conflict and the actual joining of one of the Gulf states in the circle of direct attacks against the Islamic Republic.

Officials in the Emirates said that in the latest wave of attacks alone, at least 16 ballistic missiles and over a hundred unmanned aerial vehicles were launched at the country. In some cases, damage was caused, and in some incidents casualties were also reported among foreign citizens affected by interceptions.

In the background of the Emirati attack is an ever-expanding trend of damage to civilian infrastructure as part of the fighting. In recent days, desalination facilities in the Gulf countries have been damaged, including a facility in Bahrain that was damaged by an unmanned aerial vehicle attack. The countries of the region emphasize that facilities of this type are considered an essential strategic infrastructure, since a large part of the drinking water in the Gulf is produced through desalination.

Political sources estimate that the selection of this type of target is intended to convey a message to Tehran regarding the vulnerability of civil infrastructures also in Iran, especially against the background of the acute water crisis that the country has been suffering from in recent years.

The broad regional conflict has been going on for the past few days in several arenas at the same time. Alongside the Iranian attacks against the Gulf countries, there were also attacks against American bases and oil infrastructures in the region. At the same time, attacks are being carried out against military targets and infrastructure in Iran, including energy facilities and fuel depots.

According to data published in the past day, the death toll in the regional conflict has already crossed the thousand in Iran, and at the same time, hundreds of deaths were also recorded in other arenas in the region, including in Lebanon and in various attacks in the Middle East.

The security establishment in Israel estimates that the very Emirati attack marks a change in the regional balance. So far, most of the Gulf countries have been content with defense operations and interceptions, but the move to a direct attack on Iranian territory may indicate the possibility of expanding the regional coalition working against Tehran.

Political officials in Israel emphasize that the latest developments illustrate the expansion of the conflict beyond the borders of the Israeli-Iranian arena, and the fact that other countries in the region see themselves as direct targets of Iranian activity. In such a situation, it is estimated in Jerusalem, offensive responses from the Gulf states could become a more permanent part of the regional combat system.