Iran has intensified its campaign of missile, drone and maritime attacks across the Gulf, targeting transport networks, energy infrastructure and commercial shipping while warning that the conflict could evolve into a prolonged “war of attrition” capable of disrupting the global economy.
Infrastructure and transport networks increasingly targeted
The latest escalation has seen Iranian forces strike or threaten key logistical and energy assets across the Gulf region, including oil facilities, ports, airports and commercial vessels moving through strategic shipping lanes. Missile and drone attacks have been reported near major energy installations in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, while air defences across the region have intercepted several incoming projectiles.
Transport systems have also been disrupted. Several commercial ships and tankers have been attacked or forced to divert routes as security risks in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz intensify. Maritime traffic through the strait — one of the world’s most important oil corridors — has slowed dramatically, with many shipping companies suspending passage altogether.
Analysts warn that the attacks appear designed not merely as retaliation but as a deliberate attempt to pressure global energy markets and disrupt the infrastructure that supports the international oil trade.
Strategic choke points under pressure
The Strait of Hormuz remains at the centre of the crisis. Roughly one fifth of the world’s oil supply normally passes through the narrow waterway linking the Persian Gulf to global markets. The conflict has already led to a sharp reduction in tanker traffic and rising global energy prices.
Iranian naval forces have reportedly deployed sea mines and conducted missile and drone strikes against vessels in the region, increasing fears that the waterway could become effectively closed if the conflict escalates further. Several ships have already been damaged, and dozens more have remained anchored outside the strait awaiting improved security conditions.
The disruption has forced some oil exporters to reroute shipments through alternative infrastructure such as pipelines and Red Sea ports, though these routes remain vulnerable to other regional security risks.
Warnings of economic consequences
Iranian officials have warned that the conflict could evolve into a prolonged confrontation aimed at exhausting adversaries economically rather than achieving a quick military victory. According to statements from Tehran, the strategy includes targeting economic infrastructure linked to the United States and its allies in the region.
Energy analysts say that sustained disruption to Gulf transport routes could trigger severe volatility in global oil and gas markets. Prices have already surged amid fears that the conflict could become the most significant energy supply shock since the 1970s oil crises.
The escalation comes amid an expanding regional war involving Iran, the United States and Israel, with missile exchanges, drone attacks and naval incidents spreading across multiple theatres in the Middle East.
Newshub Editorial in Asia – March 12, 2026
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