海湾地区平民死亡人数最多的一周标志着美国-伊朗战争的转折点，这场战争已经波及从贝鲁特到亚丁，从埃尔比勒到萨拉赫的中东地区。沙特阿拉伯在胡塞武装本月20次袭击利雅得机场、造成17人死亡、333人受伤之后，加强了对也门胡塞武装的打击。尽管利雅得拥有相当强大的防空系统和巨额军费开支，但武装分子仍能使用相对廉价的无人机和导弹绕过这些系统。
The deadliest week for civilians in the Gulf marks a turning point in the US-Iran war that has engulfed the Middle East from Beirut to Aden, and from Irbil to Salalah. Saudi Arabia stepped up strikes on Yemen’s Houthis after the group hit Riyadh’s airport 20 times this month, killing 17 people and injuring 333. Despite Riyadh’s considerable air defenses and vast military spending, the militants have been able to outsmart the systems using relatively cheap drones and missiles.
伊朗对海湾的袭击使该地区更加团结，而德黑兰在也门的盟友最近的袭击进一步激发了对沙特阿拉伯的支持。地区当局正在强调这一团结信息：在今天科威特的星期五祈祷布道中，伊玛目被指示赞扬王国在1990年伊拉克入侵期间的支持，并谴责胡塞武装。巴林、卡塔尔和阿联酋也表达了类似的支持。
Iranian attacks on the Gulf have brought the region closer together, and the latest strikes by Tehran’s allies in Yemen have galvanized support for Saudi Arabia. Authorities in the region are reinforcing this message of unity: In today’s Friday prayer sermons in Kuwait, imams were instructed to praise the kingdom’s support during Iraq’s 1990 invasion and condemn the Houthis. Similar expressions of support were also voiced in Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE.
尽管安全是当务之急，但国际货币基金组织的最新预测揭示了战争日益加深的经济影响。该基金地区主任吉哈德·阿祖尔向《阿什拉格·彭博》表示，海湾地区的金融储备、多元化的出口路线以及政府干预已经缓解了冲击。但国际货币基金组织现在预测，经济将出现比之前预期更深的收缩，即使能源生产和贸易恢复，国内生产总值也将低于战前预测。
While security is by far the most pressing priority, new projections from the IMF have revealed the war’s deepening economic toll. Jihad Azour, the fund’s regional director, told Asharq Bloomberg that the Gulf’s financial reserves, diversified export routes, and government interventions have cushioned the shock. But the IMF now predicts a deeper contraction than previously expected, with GDP trailing pre-war forecasts even after energy production and trade recover.