Iran’s precision strikes picked apart Gulf infrastructure, blunting US war plans
Reuters found at least 135 drone and missile strikes that damaged oil, water and power systems and disrupted exports across the Gulf.
- Iranian-Linked forces targeted critical Gulf energy infrastructure throughout 2026, damaging export terminals at Fujairah, Saudi refineries, and the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant. These deliberate strikes disrupted regional oil and power operations across multiple nations.
- The region's sprawling energy network has faced persistent vulnerabilities for decades, a systemic exposure flagged in a 1983 CIA report. Adversaries exploited this accessibility to target essential facilities communities rely on for power and livelihoods.
- Satellite imagery and industry data confirm severe operational disruptions, including a month-long halt in Fujairah refined petroleum exports. A May 17 drone strike on the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant forced one reactor onto emergency diesel generators, per the International Atomic Energy Agency.
- Brent oil prices climbed near or above $120 a barrel between March and May, responding to market volatility. Kuwait's crude exports ceased in April for the first time since 1991 following infrastructure damage that suspended port operations.
- Four sources told Reuters that $3 billion in frozen Iranian funds were released to halt attacks, though the UAE foreign ministry denied any arrangement facilitated the transfer. The conflict expanded beyond oil, directly threatening civilian water supplies including critical Kuwaiti desalination plants.
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Iran Has Deliberately Struck Dozens Critical Infrastructure Sites Across The Gulf Since The U.S. War Began: Report
Satellite images and interviews reveal damage across seven Gulf countries, including attacks on pipelines, power stations and a nuclear facility.
London: Iran and its allies in the region have carried out dozens of small-scale strikes on infrastructure facilities in the Gulf since the outbreak of the war, systematically disrupting vital equipment and causing a series of disruptions and economic damage throughout the region, in an elaborate campaign to help explain how the Islamic Republic of Iran has been able to withstand the most powerful American army.
Since February 28, 2026, when the US and Israel began the war against Iran, Tehran and its allies in the Middle East have carried out at least 135 ...
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