Iran05 July, 20263 min read
Emirati Fighter Jets Bomb Iran Targets as Sharjah Smoke Rises, Gulf States Reposition
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Direct US-Iran negotiations underway with Pakistan mediating. Gulf states repositioning in the US-Iran conflict.
Gulf states recalibrate
A new challenge for the Gulf states is emerging as their positions shift over how to confront Iran, with Monte Carlo International Discussion saying the change is based on what an American newspaper reported about Emirati fighter jets taking part in bombing Iranian targets. The same program described a black cloud of smoke rising from a warehouse in the industrial area of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates after reports of Iranian strikes in Dubai on Sunday, March 1, 2026.
It also said Saudi Arabia insists on neutrality while Qatar seeks to play the mediation role in the final hours, framing the dispute as a war in which Gulf capitals are repositioning their stances. In the background of that regional recalibration, the program’s hosts were Adel Marzouk, Editor-in-Chief of The Gulf House for Studies and Publishing, and Kamal Tarbiyeh, a political analyst and expert on international affairs.
Pakistan mediation and deportations
While Pakistan is described by the BBC as having become a pivotal mediating venue for negotiations between Iran and the United States, Al Jazeera’s regional reporting in the Gulf focused on how the war climate is spilling into domestic enforcement against Pakistani Shiites.
The BBC said a senior White House official confirmed that direct negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, with Pakistan's participation, are underway, and it identified the American delegation led by J.D. Vance, the Vice President, with Steve Witkaf and Jared Kushner also attending.
In Abu Dhabi, Al Jazeera reported that a Pakistani Shia man who worked in the United Arab Emirates for 15 years said a single summons to the immigration center ended his life there, after he was asked in interrogation, "Are you Shia?"
The same report said Reuters had reported a database compiled by a Shiite Pakistani organization showing about 7,500 Shiite Pakistanis deported from the UAE since late February, while Emirati and Pakistani authorities denied the deportations were linked to sectarian affiliation and said the measures related to regulatory violations.
Ceasefire day and maritime risk
As the ceasefire between Iran and the United States entered its thirty-first day, an Other-language roundup said intensification of tensions in the south of the country raised concerns about the possibility of a breach of the ceasefire. It also reported that the Qatari Foreign Ministry announced that the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister of Qatar met in Washington with the US Vice President, and that they spoke with “Vons” about the latest regional developments and Pakistan’s mediation.
On the maritime front, the same roundup cited Fars saying Iran ordered all vessels to keep away from U.S. warships on a special maritime emergency communications frequency, and it included a broadcast message: “We advise you for your safety to stay at least 10 miles (about 16 kilometers) away from warships; because we sometimes need to teach the Yankees a lesson with missiles and drones.” It further said UKMTO reported that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has significantly decreased and emphasized that navigation in this region remains with a very high risk due to recent attacks and ongoing activities to enforce a maritime blockade.