As of March 7, 2026, the conflict linked to the strikes by the United States and Israel entered Day 8, with Iran continuing retaliatory attacks targeting Gulf countries.
Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi said exports from the Gulf region could come to halt “within weeks” if the war on Iran continues to escalate. He told The Financial Times on Friday that a war stretching into weeks could severely impact the GDP growth around the world. “Everybody’s energy price is going to go higher. There will be shortages of some products and there will be a chain reaction of factories that cannot supply,” he told FT.
Here are key developments from today (March 7)
- Qatar’s aviation authority announced Friday that the Gulf nation would partially reopen to limited air traffics after it closed its airspace. This would include the operation of a limited number of flights designated for passenger evacuation.
- US President Donald Trump stressed “unconditional surrender” from Iran would end the war. He wrote on Truth Social, “After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before.”
- The UAE’s Ministry of Defence revealed that it intercepted nine ballistic missiles and 109 drones on Friday, after detecting 112 drones. Three fell inside the country’s territory.
- Authorities said 94 UAE residents have been injured since the attacks began. On March 5, six people in Abu Dhabi were hurt after drone debris fell in the area.
- Airlines are slowly restoring operations. Emirates and Flydubai resumed flights but with a reduced schedule, while Flynas announced flights between Dubai and Saudi Arabia.
- Nearly 7,000 Indians stranded in the UAE have been flown back home over the last few days as airlines slowly restore operations affected by the crisis.
- Air India and Air India Express resumed services to and from Jeddah and Muscat after confirming that the airspaces over Saudi Arabia and Oman remain open and safe for operations.
- In Qatar, authorities evacuated people living near the US embassy in Doha as a precaution amid the escalating security situation.
- Education authorities cancelled all remaining Class 10 board exams of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in the region and postponed Class 12 exams because of safety concerns.
- Donald Trump said the US should be involved in choosing Iran’s next supreme leader, adding that the son of Ali Khamenei would be an “unacceptable” choice.
- Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry announced that it had successfully intercepted four drones launched towards the Shaybah oil field.
- Ministers from the European Union and Gulf countries urged Iran to immediately stop what they called “indiscriminate” attacks on Gulf nations.
- Donald Trump said the United States Navy could escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if needed after Iran declared the waterway closed during the war.
Follow Financial Express for all the latest news updates from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and other middle east countries where millions of Indians have been stranded.
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: Dubai Airports confirms partial resumption of operations
Dubai Airports confirms partial resumption of operations from today, 7 March, with some flights operating out of Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC).
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: Dubai International (DXB) temporarily suspends operations
Dubai International (DXB) has temporarily suspended operations, Dubai Media Office confirmed today, saying that the decision was taken considering safety of passengers, airport staff, and airline crew. "All procedures are being managed in line with established safety protocols," it said.
A flydubai flight from Dubai with 163 passengers arrived at Kolkata on Saturday, airport officials said. It later left for Dubai with 92 passengers, they said.
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: Emirates suspends all flights to and from Dubai
Emirates said on Saturday that all flights to and from Dubai have been suspended until further notice, according to a post from the UAE flag carrier on X. Emirates has been operating limited services from Dubai and Abu Dhabi through safe air corridors.
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: Middle East conflict will have 'implications' for Taiwan
Vincent Yi-hsiang Chao, the Deputy Secretary-General at the National Security Council in Taiwan, issued a warning about how the current conflict in West Asia could send shockwaves throughout the world.
Speaking to ANI, Chao highlighted that the tensions involving the US, Israel and Iran are already being felt globally.
"There are going to be implications and repercussions for Taiwan, whether we're talking about energy, the economy or potentially financial markets as well, and already we are seeing some signs of that," he stated.
He explained that Taiwan remains focused on its own regional security priorities while closely monitoring the crisis in West Asia.
"We are going to see what is happening in the Middle East through the prism of our immediate interests, which is peace and stability over the Taiwan Strait. And we do hope that this conflict in the Middle East is finished as soon as possible so that we can continue to focus on deterring conflict across the Taiwan Strait in the Indo-Pacific region," he added.
"We will continue to be in close contact with the United States and close partners and allies in the region," he noted. " Fortunately, the diversification process has already started for a couple of years now, and we are importing a lot more from the United States. We're working with Southeast Asia as well."
"We can't be over-leveraged in any part of the world, particularly one as volatile as the Middle East. And so we have been taking a lot of steps to rectify that and to manage the trade diversification components. Every country that relies on Middle Eastern gas and Middle Eastern oil is still going to be impacted to a large degree," he said.
UAE's MOD asserted in an official release that the sounds heard are the result of the Air Defence Systems intercepting missiles and drones as the country responded to incoming missiles and drone threats from Iran.
https://twitter.com/modgovae/status/2030162504844988625
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: UAE's MOI issues statement on 'missile threat'
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: UAE air defence systems respond to a missile threat
UAE's National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority said on X that they are currently responding to a missile threat. Officials further advised people to remain in a safe location.
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: Iran launches drone strikes at US, Israel bases
The Iranian forces said Saturday its navy launched drone attacks on Israeli and the US bases in the UAE and Kuwait. "The Iranian Navy targeted American bases and occupied territories with a massive wave of drone attacks," the army said in a statement, as per the IRNA news agency.
Targets included the UAE's Al Minhad base, another in Kuwait along with a "strategic facility" in Israel.
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: Loud explosions in Abu Dhai
As per a witness account shared with Reuters, several loud explosions were heard in Abu Dhabi. Just days ago, reports of explosions near the Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, UAE, made headlines.
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: England women's cricket team's training camps shifts from UAE to South Africa
England women's cricket team is now set to travel to South Africa for a training camp. Their preparatory tour to Abu Dhabi was cancelled due to ongoing conflict in West Asia.
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: UAE Ambassador to UK calls for British
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ambassador to the United Kingdom has called for increased support from Britain after a series of "completely unjustified" attacks on the Gulf nation.
Highlighting the strong relationship between the UAE and the UK, Mansoor Abulhoul said during an interview with GB News, "...any further support [from Britain] is always welcome, as they would expect from us."
"In terms of the UK government, I wouldn't want to comment on operation capability of the British government, but I would underline that this is an incredibly important relationship with the United Kingdom, both on the historical level but also on the people to people level... We have huge people to people connectivity. Our economic links are incredibly strong. United Arab Emirates is the largest trading partner with the UK. We have a big investment programme into the United Kingdom."
"We've had good support and communication from the UK Government - obviously in times of crisis and war, we'd welcome more as they would expect from us - as a friend would expect from us... We'd always welcome more from a close partner and ally like the United Kingdom."
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: IndiGo issues flight updates for March 7
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: Discount on gold in Dubai, reports Bloomberg
According to a Bloomberg report, gold is being sold at a massive discount in Dubai. Discounted prices of as much as $30 an ounce to the global benchmark in London are being offered. The discounts are being attributed to the unwillingness on the part of buyers to pay high shipping and insurance costs. Amid no guarantee of swift delivery, many are stepping back from new orders.
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: Videos of Iranian drone explosion in Dubai surface on social media
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways issues SOP for major ports in India
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has issued SOP for major ports in India to mitigate the impact of geopolitical disturbance in the Middle East, following consultation with all stakeholders, ANI reported Saturday.
The SoPs stated that Port chairpersons should conduct periodical meetings to monitor the situation. Each port is also set to appoint a Nodal office to be the Single point of Contact for addressing all issues, and give priority consideration to export cargo returning from the Middle East.
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: Flights bound for Dubai are holding after a reported drone strike
Before the official statement from the Dubai Media Office, FlightRadar shared via X: "Flights bound for Dubai are holding after a reported drone/missile strike in close proximity to the airport."
https://twitter.com/flightradar24/status/2030125153426849966
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: Dubai rejects major airport 'incident' reports
The Dubai Media Office shared Saturday: "Dubai's competent authorities have dealt with a limited incident resulting from the fall of a shrapnel fragment caused by a successful interception operation by air defenses, with no injuries recorded. There is no truth to what is currently being circulated on social media sites regarding any incident at Dubai International Airport."
The Indian Embassy in Qatar had published a new advisory for Indian nationals currently stranded in the West Asian country. It had previously encouraged Indian to fill in a form with their details to ascertain the exact number and details of stranded Indian Nationals who are not residents of Qatar.
In a new update, authorities have now shared a new link.
See here:
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: Saudi Arabia steps up direct engagement with Iran to end war
In an effort to contain the West Asian conflict, Saudi Arabia has stepped up direct engagement with Iran to defuse the situation, a Bloomberg report cited several European officials.
"Saudi officials have deployed their diplomatic backchannel to Iran with greater urgency to de-escalate tensions and prevent the conflict from worsening," the report stated.
"The talks have involved both security agencies and diplomats, they added, but it wasn’t clear whether they had involved higher-ranking officials and, so far, Iran has shown little inclination to negotiate with the US or Israel."
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: Bahrain requests citizens to remain calm despite alarm sirens
Despite alarm sirens being sounded in the country, Bahrain's interior ministry advised citizens to remain calm in a formal statement issued via X.
“Citizens and residents are requested to remain calm, head to the nearest safe place, and follow updates through official channels,” the government tweeted.
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister meets Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: Lufthansa flight to Saudi Arabia diverted due to safety issue
A Lufthansa airlines flight headed to Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh was reportedly diverted to Cairo due to safety concerns. French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said, "(It) reflects the instability in the region and the complexity of repatriation operations," according to Reuters.
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: Saudi Arabia intercepts drone attack near Emirati border
AFP quoted the Saudi Press Agency saying on Saturday that Saudi Arabia had averted a drone attack on an oil field near its border with the UAE. "Attempted attack on the Shaybah field; six drones intercepted and destroyed," the report stated.
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: Received 'emergency alerts,' Indian national shares after Dubai evacuation
An Indian passenger who had been stranded in Dubai shared her experience after arriving at IGI Airport in New Delhi on Saturday. "The missiles are being intercepted and we used to receive emergency alerts...We were advised to stay safe and stay indoors," she told ANI.
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: Qatar govt arrests Arab national for posting 'defaming' tweets about the Gulf state
In another update, Qatar's Ministry of Interior announced that it had arrested a person of Arab nationality for posting a series of tweets via their social media accounts that contained direct insults against the State of Qatar and its institutions.
"The Ministry of Interior urges everyone to comply with the laws and regulations and to refrain from using social media or digital platforms to spread rumours, incite unrest, defame the State of Qatar and its institutions," Qatar's MOI said in a public notice.
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: Qatar govt affirms strict stance against 'defamation' of Gulf state
Qatar's Ministry of Interior has repeatedly issued formal statement affirming its strict stance against those spreading rumours, inciting unrest and defaming the State of Qatar and its institutions. In a separate post, authorities also called on citizens, residents and visitors to report any unusual or suspicious behaviour related to the current developments.
Dubai, UAE, Iran War LIVE: Pakistan raises retail fuel prices by about 20%
On Friday, Pakistan raised consumer prices for diesel and petrol about 20%, citing higher oil prices driven by the Iran conflict. Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik announced a historically large 55-rupee ($0.20 a liter) increase to 321.17 rupees for diesel and 335.86 rupees for petrol.
“We have taken this decision under compulsion because of a sharp surge in petroleum prices globally,” the minister said during a televised video message.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday warned against fuel hoarding and said hoarders would be punished.
“We have sufficient petrol reserves. But we are planning to stretch them because we don't know when the Middle East crises will end,” said the minister.
The country's oil imports are sources mainly from Saudi Arabia and the UAE through the Strait of Hormuz.