A view of missiles over Doha, Qatar after Iran has launched an operation concentrating on a U.S. base in Qatar on June 23, 2025.
Stringer | Anadolu | Getty Photographs
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Escalating regional conflict, or a bunch of choreographed theatre?
Hundreds of thousands throughout the Center East had been informed to shelter in place Monday night time because the airspace closed above them and Iran fired a barrage of missiles over Al-Udeid air base in Qatar, the U.S.’ largest and most fortified navy base within the area. Movies of interceptors lighting up the night time sky over Doha went viral on social media, whereas flight monitoring platforms confirmed passenger jets on their method to Dubai and Abu Dhabi abruptly reversing course.
The Iranian strike, which U.S. President Donald Trump later described as “weak” and which the White Home says was telegraphed earlier than it was carried out in an effort to decrease casualties, got here in response to unprecedented U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear services final week, which had been carried out with the largest non-nuclear bombs on earth.
Trump has declared a cease-fire and known as for peace. It stays to be seen whether or not Israel and Iran will each settle for and stick with a ceasefire, and nonetheless extra questions stay: what occurred to Iran’s enriched uranium provides? How a lot injury was completed in all of the strikes? Does it finish right here? Will Iran’s authorities survive? Will airspace reopen and flights resume all around the area?
Individuals across the area expressed their emotions, fears and hopes in conversations with CNBC. A number of of these people selected to take action on the situation of anonymity, because of the delicate nature of their feedback, and over considerations of repercussions from the state or from their employers.
‘Simply appeared like an enormous present’
“For my part, this conflict had one winner — and that was america. As a result of it additionally confirmed Israel that with out america, it can’t win — and even finish —a conflict. And the second loser was the Islamic Republic, which realized it had no navy functionality to counter U.S. airstrikes, and that the U.S. may entry each a part of Iran each time it wished. And the largest losers had been the individuals of Iran, whose nationwide wealth was spent on nuclear enrichment — just for all of it to be destroyed in a matter of nights.” — H., oil and fuel enterprise director in Tehran, Iran
“I am so ‘ehhh’ about this. It simply appeared like an enormous present. I suppose everybody was ready on how Iran will reply. That is most likely the very best case situation to calm issues down. I hope the main target goes again to Gaza now. Many individuals are nonetheless getting killed there on a regular basis.” — Saed Elayan, Palestinian entrepreneur dwelling in Dubai
“Persons are laughing on the very restricted scope of Iran’s operation towards Al-Udeid. But Tehran really managed to ship a potent geostrategic message to the Gulf states: As a substitute of being a wellspring of safety, internet hosting American forces on their soil may — and certainly would — solely invite devastating assaults.” — Mo, Egyptian-American dwelling in Cairo
“We’re utterly fed up. We’re indignant, annoyed, unhappy, and scared. We really feel helpless and we really feel a large quantity of injustice. We’re uninterested in being attacked and destabilized by the U.S. and Israel underneath the guise of ‘liberating us from tyranny’. It is laughable and all of us see by way of it — we simply need to stay in peace and never watch our cousins get slaughtered for merely desirous to exist.” — Kareem, Egyptian entrepreneur dwelling in Dubai
“Actually I’m not all that bothered about Iran. They prompted extra deaths in Iraq within the final 70 years than Israel did in Palestine. And in the event that they determine to bomb one another, who am I to object. My solely hope is that they maintain it to themselves with out dragging the remainder of the area into it.” — A., Iraqi expat dwelling in Dubai
Emergency staff verify the injury prompted to a constructing from an Iranian missile strike in Beersheba in southern Israel on June 24, 2025.
John Wessels | Afp | Getty Photographs
“Identical to all the opposite little interactions between Iran and Israel this has been very, very quick lived, and so they principally simply type of had just a little skirmish after which known as it a day. I knew this was going to be nothing completely different. And the true telltale signal was the truth that … the Islamic Republic has by no means formally entered a state of conflict. As a result of a conflict inherently wants a winner and a loser. However this wasn’t a conflict. This was simply type of like just a little, I do not know, slap combat, little like a b—- slap combat now and again, and both means, each events may stroll away and save face and say each of them gained, and so they technically did, as a result of there was no conflict, so there’s technically no loser.” — Amir Hamidfar, content material creator and video editor, Isfahan, Iran
“As a Lebanese with a enterprise in Saudi and UAE I would like this to be over as quickly as doable. We stand at equal distance from not liking each international locations [Iran and Israel] and are so resilient that we aren’t fearful, however need this to be over.” — Cam Khoury, Lebanese entrepreneur, Dubai
‘Hopefully that is the tip of it’
“For me personally as a Swiss citizen, I really feel secure in Dubai. However I really feel very bizarre, dwelling a standard life, posting on social media, it feels fallacious. At present primarily fearful concerning the flight scenario – whereas different individuals are scared for his or her life. And I am simply so shocked how Israel may simply assault a sovereign state with out little to no penalties.” — Luisa, Swiss expat working in Dubai
“I hate waking up and questioning what occurred. I fall asleep having no thought what the area will appear like within the morning. I ought to have gotten out of right here ahead of I deliberate to, now if flights keep grounded I am caught. However hopefully that is the tip of it and it would not worsen from right here.” — H., American expat in Dubai
“There’s been a deep sense of concern — not simply of conflict, however of one thing unravelling. We’re dwelling underneath the shadow of an escalating existential risk, the place the long run feels considerably fragile and unsure. And but, alongside that concern, there is a persistent hope: that this second of disaster may be a turning level for one thing higher.” — Cochav Elkayam Levy, chair of the Civil Fee, central Israel
“My household are okay thank god… I believe I am extra anxious than them. Holy s— man, like that is it. It is now or by no means [for the Iranian regime to fall]. A lot to be nervous about. A lot to be hopeful about. A lot to cry about. A lot to precise pleasure about. It is a goddamn bipolar expertise proper now to be Iranian.” — S., Iranian expat and marketing consultant in Dubai
“I principally am involved about secure havens like Dubai now not being secure havens as a result of the USA and Israel can act independently of any worldwide guidelines and with impunity. That the remainder of the area will likely be dragged into this conflict all due to egos. Will my property value be affected? Will Dubai now not be a secure place to stay? Will my relations in Iraq be secure contemplating they’re so near Iran?” — F., Iraqi expat and lawyer in Dubai
“”There is a sense of aid that Iran’s nuclear, disruptive capabilities and proxies have been critically degraded — but additionally deep anxiousness concerning the danger of one other full-scale regional conflict, and a fragile ceasefire unlikely to carry. Beginning a conflict is one factor — ending it’s one other. It’s a must to marvel if the Center East is doomed to ‘perpetually wars,’ or if true battle prevention and peacebuilding will ever take root.” — Mazen Hayek, media marketing consultant, Dubai
“Neighboring international locations need to unite and stress Israel to cease their relentless assaults on Iran instantly for any probability of peace. The present atmosphere is just a little scary for a lot of and can negatively impression tourism, actual property, traders, and general security within the Persian Gulf. As a very long time resident who lived by way of all of the conflicts since Gulf Struggle I, I’m deeply involved – for Iran and all international locations on the Arabian Peninsula.” — Okay., vitality consultancy founder, European expat in Dubai