Iran War Daily — The Gulf Report
Issue No. 6 | Covering Friday, March 6, 2026
Oil, Strait of Hormuz, and Stock Markets
Oil
“Oil surges 35% this week for biggest gain in futures trading history dating back to 1983.” Brent settled at $92.69/barrel. CNBC, March 6, 2026
Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi warns crude could reach $150/barrel “in the coming weeks” if the Hormuz disruption persists. Bloomberg, March 6, 2026
Strait of Hormuz
Near-total shutdown: JMIC records only 2 commercial crossings in 24 hours — neither an oil tanker. Bloomberg, March 6, 2026
“Maersk suspends two key regional shipping services amid Hormuz closure.” CNBC, March 6, 2026
Stock Markets
DFM closes at 5,917 pts; ADX at 9,903 pts. UAE markets record a cumulative loss of −9% and −5.27% respectively across the three sessions since reopening. Al Khaleej, March 6, 2026
States’ Updates
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
“Saudi Arabia Has Intensified Direct Line to Iran to Defuse War.” Bloomberg, March 6, 2026.
“Saudi Arabia Starts to Shift Crude Exports to Red Sea as Hormuz Disruption Mounts.” Bloomberg, March 6, 2026.
🇦🇪 UAE
“UAE Mulls Freezing Iranian Assets as Middle East Conflict Escalates.” CNBC / WSJ, March 6, 2026.
“UAE extends limited flights; spring break for schools and universities moved up.” Gulf News, March 6, 2026.
🇶🇦 Qatar
“Iran targets Israeli embassy in Bahrain, Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.” Al Jazeera, March 6, 2026.
“Gulf oil exports could stop within weeks, warns Qatar energy minister as Iran war continues.” Arab News, March 6, 2026.
🇴🇲 Oman
“Iran plays down peace prospects as Israel strikes Khamenei’s bunker” The National, March 6, 2026.
🇰🇼 Kuwait
“Kuwait Cuts Oil and Refining Output as Hormuz Transits Slow.” Bloomberg, March 7, 2026.
🇧🇭 Bahrain
“Iran targets Israeli embassy in Bahrain, Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.” Al Jazeera, March 6, 2026.
Defense Summary
Public Opinion
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
“The United States specializes in toppling ideologically extremist regimes that threaten global security and stability. It brought down the Nazi regime in Germany after two world wars, defeated the fascist regime in Italy and the imperial system in Japan, and contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Likewise, it will bring down the mullah regime.”
Muhamad Alzulfa, X, March 6, 2026.
“The new generation of Saudis, who did not live through the liberation of Kuwait in 1990, or were not fully aware of it, and some of whom are now over the age of 35 and constitute the majority of the Kingdom population, may not know this experience.
I remember those days well. At the beginning, many people rushed, and I was among them, to buy and store whatever food supplies we could out of fear of scarcity. Even bread we bought in large quantities and dried, and some of us placed it in the freezer. We behaved as if we were expecting a famine.
As the days passed, I kept visiting the markets constantly. The shelves were full, food supplies were available, and some supermarkets even displayed canned goods in a manner similar to Ramadan promotions. In the end, many of us lost what we had stockpiled in those early days. This story happened 35 years ago, so imagine today.”
Dawood Alshirian, X, March 6, 2026.
🇦🇪 UAE
“Recent developments raise a logical question: if missiles and drones do not distinguish between one Gulf state and another, can the security of the region really be divided?
Reality suggests exactly the opposite. The forces targeting the Gulf view it as a single strategic space, regardless of the differences in the policies of its states or the diversity of their diplomatic approaches. For this reason, the current moment is not one of political competition or media sparring, but rather a moment of strategic awareness.
The future of the Gulf is greater than its disagreements. Either it stands united to protect the achievements built over five decades of development and stability, or it allows small disputes to become cracks in the wall of its security.”
Mohammed Al Hammadi, Al Khaleej, March 6, 2026.
“Wars may draw near in geography, but they cannot alter its pace. Dubai is a city built on stability and institutions, economic strength, and accumulated trust. A city that does not fear storms, but knows how to navigate them and move forward with the calm of the confident. Dubai was never just a slogan but an experience of stability and success that is hard to break—and equally hard to replicate.”
Ebtisam Alkitbi, X, March 6, 2026.
🇶🇦 Qatar
“Attempts by some in the West to claim that Qatar is ‘politicizing’ gas pipelines, following the remarks of Minister of State for Energy Affairs Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi, are first and foremost desperate attempts and rather shameless.
First, Qatar — like the other Gulf states — has every right to do so, because the ongoing war ‘is not our war.’ From the standpoint of protecting our interests, we have the right to use the means we consider effective to restrain parties engaged in a conflict that harms us while they fight it.
Second, the minister did not say that such a step would be taken by Qatar based on its own unilateral will. Rather, he linked the matter to developments related to the war. Therefore, there was no politicization or threat in his remarks. Instead, they reflected the reality of the situation and the current escalation, particularly with QatarEnergy declaring force majeure.
Gulf states have the right to make decisions that safeguard the security they have worked to build for many years. As for those who benefit from this war — and their media outlets that promote and encourage drawing the Gulf into it — we must recognize their danger, because the current phase has revealed many of them.”
Eisa Almarzooqi, X, March 6, 2026.
“We condemn, denounce, and reject the attack on Qatar, but we also do not accept the violation of Iran sovereignty by Israel and the United States.
We condemn, reject, denounce, and protest the bombing and violation of the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, and Oman. At the same time, we reject American and Israeli foreign interference in the internal affairs of Iran.
We condemn, denounce, reject, and protest the bombing and violation of the sovereignty of Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iraqi Kurdistan, and any state or place anywhere. We also reject assassination campaigns targeting political figures and religious leaders anywhere and under any justification.
We condemn and denounce what Hezbollah did by attacking Israel and dragging Lebanon into a war that is not its war. We call on Hezbollah to hand over its weapons to the Lebanese state, while maintaining its right to participate in civilian political life.
These wars are not our wars. Rather, they are conflicts imposed upon the region by external actors — the United States and Israel on one side, and Iran on the other. It is a war in which neither we nor our countries have any real interest. We reject this war entirely, along with its goals and intentions.”
Abdullah Naser Al Thani, X, March 6, 2026.
🇴🇲 Oman
“The best decision Gulf states could take right now is to temporarily halt the export of oil and gas, even if only for a few days or weeks. What is needed is for the world to feel that this region carries real weight in global equations, and for its “illusory” allies to realize that interests are not protected by words alone. Such a step could restore some sense of prestige, remind everyone of the Gulf strength, and also push allies to reconsider and realign their positions and policies.”
Mukhtar Alhannani, X, March 6, 2026.
“Every scenario Trump hopes for depends on one main factor: that the Gulf declares war. It is a project destined, God willing, for long-term disappointment.”
Muawiya Alrawahi, X, March 6, 2026.
🇰🇼 Kuwait
“The United States, which placed the Gulf states in these difficult circumstances, should bear the economic consequences. It is therefore natural for Gulf countries to reconsider their previous investment agreements with it and to redirect their interests in ways that protect their security and stability. Major adventures always generate economic repercussions.”
Sajed Mutaib Al Abdali, X, March 6, 2026.
“The Americans have burned Iran from end to end and killed its top leader—what more do you want them to do?!”
Meshal AlNami, X, March 6, 2026.
🇧🇭 Bahrain
“If Tehran had carefully considered the diplomatic and peaceful room for maneuver available to it, it could have benefited—at least to some extent—from the recent international positions rejecting the attack by the two-party alliance against it, as well as from the contradictions that appeared among its Western adversaries allied with Washington. This began with Spain, which announced its refusal to provide logistical support for the attack on Iran from US bases on its territory, and extended to France and Germany, which acknowledged that the attack took place outside international law, despite their practical sympathy with it. It also includes numerous peace and environmental organizations around the world, even though their voices have recently weakened and their influence declined.”
Radhi Alsamak, Al Bilad, March 7, 2026.
“The Gulf states have managed their relations with Iran well, through both good times and difficult ones, from their founding and independence up to the present day. Our countries know when to loosen the thread of Muawiya and when to tighten it. This war, sponsored by Trump and Netanyahu, has ruined everything. The war will eventually end, but we and the Iranians will remain, each of us turning the pages of this war with resentment and bitterness.”
Adel Marzooq, X, March 6, 2026.