Gulf States in April 2026: the most important developments in security
Security in the Gulf states in April 2026 was dominated by Iranian missile and drone strikes and the contest over the Strait of Hormuz. In the first days of the month Iranian drones set fuel tanks on fire at Kuwait's airport and damaged an electricity and desalination plant and the Mina al-Ahmadi refinery in Kuwait. On April 3 debris from an intercepted attack killed one Egyptian worker and halted operations at the Habshan gas plant in Abu Dhabi. On April 4 Iran struck US military sites in Kuwait, the UAE and Bahrain, and UAE air defenses intercepted 23 ballistic missiles and 56 drones; debris damaged buildings in Dubai. In Dubai, the parking operator Parkin warned residents on April 17 about fake messages demanding outstanding toll payments.
A two-week US-Iran ceasefire took effect on April 8, but attacks were still reported afterward, including a drone strike on Saudi Arabia's east-west oil pipeline. Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador to Iraq on April 12 over drone attacks, and on April 24 two drones from Iraq struck Kuwaiti border posts.
The US began a naval blockade of Iranian ports on April 13, and Central Command reported six vessels turned back on the first day. Iran threatened to block shipping in the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The strait partially opened on April 17 and Iran closed it again on April 18. On April 19 and 20 the US seized an Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, and Iran vowed retaliation. A container ship was damaged by gunboat fire near Oman on April 22. Donald Trump extended the ceasefire while keeping the blockade, and on April 29 reports said Central Command was preparing a new wave of strikes on Iran.
States strengthened their defenses. Pakistan sent 13,000 troops and fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, the UK deployed its Sky Sabre air defense system there, and Kuwait moved to buy the NASAMS system. On April 20 the UAE said it had dismantled a cell linked to Iran, and six Arab states condemned the plot.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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