The Fujairah facility, according to CNBC, accounts for approximately 15% of the UAE's natural gas production. While no casualties were reported in the initial strike, energy analysts warn that repairs could take months, forcing the UAE to import liquefied natural gas at elevated prices to meet domestic demand.

The tanker attack, meanwhile, underscores Iran's expanding arsenal of maritime weapons. Naval drones and mines, relatively inexpensive compared to conventional missiles, allow Tehran to maintain pressure on shipping without exhausting its more sophisticated weaponry for potential direct confrontation with US naval forces.

"We're seeing asymmetric warfare applied to energy security," explained Admiral James Stavridis (ret.), former NATO Supreme Allied Commander. "Iran can afford to lose dozens of these drones. Tanker operators cannot afford dozens of successful strikes."

The attacks place Gulf monarchies in an impossible position. Distancing themselves from Washington risks abandoning the security guarantees that have underpinned their defense strategies for decades. Maintaining the alliance, however, now carries concrete economic costs that will be measured in billions of dollars of damaged infrastructure and disrupted energy exports.

Saudi Arabia, which has thus far avoided direct Iranian strikes, reportedly increased air defense readiness at its Eastern Province oil facilities. Kuwait and Qatar, both hosting substantial US military presences, face similar vulnerability.

The UAE has not yet publicly responded to the attacks, though diplomatic sources indicate urgent consultations with both Washington and European capitals. Energy officials are assessing whether to temporarily shut down other exposed facilities as a precautionary measure—a decision that would further tighten global energy supplies.

"This is Iran's way of internationalizing the costs of the conflict," said Dr. Jim Krane, energy expert at Rice University's Baker Institute. "Every strike on Gulf energy infrastructure sends a signal to Europe and Asia: your energy security depends on convincing Washington to de-escalate."

For Iran, the strategy carries its own risks. Attacking neutral states' economic infrastructure could forge a broader coalition against Tehran. But with the regime having already rejected de-escalation proposals, Iranian strategists appear to have calculated that escalation, not restraint, offers the best path to forcing negotiations on favorable terms.