Trump Threatens Major Retaliation After Iran Drone Attacks on Saudi Arabia, Gulf
By Juba Global News Network Staff JubaGlobal.com March 13, 2026 President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Iran late Thursday, vowing “major new reta
By Juba Global News Network Staff
JubaGlobal.com
March 13, 2026
President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Iran late Thursday, vowing “major new retaliation” following a fresh wave of Iranian drone and cruise-missile attacks that targeted Saudi oil facilities, U.S. military sites in the Gulf, and civilian infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates. The president’s blunt message—“Watch what happens”—posted on Truth Social and echoed in a brief Oval Office statement, came as black smoke still rose over industrial zones near Dubai and Saudi air defenses intercepted dozens of incoming threats in the skies above the Kingdom’s Eastern Province.
The latest Iranian barrage, which U.S. and Gulf officials say began shortly after midnight local time, represents the most widespread direct assault on America’s Arab allies since the war erupted on February 28. It follows days of escalating tit-for-tat strikes that have already crippled much of Iran’s missile production, naval assets, and energy export terminals while spreading chaos across global oil markets and international aviation.
Scope of the Latest Iranian Attacks
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense reported that its Patriot and THAAD systems, supported by U.S.-provided radar and command links, successfully intercepted more than 45 Iranian Shahed-136 drones and several cruise missiles aimed at Aramco facilities in Abqaiq and Ras Tanura. Debris from downed drones caused minor fires at a petrochemical plant near Jubail, but no casualties were reported on Saudi soil.
In the UAE, the situation was more severe. Multiple explosions rocked industrial and port areas near Jebel Ali and the Dubai-Al Ain highway corridor. Dubai Police confirmed at least nine injuries and widespread property damage after interception fragments ignited fuel depots and warehouses. Sirens sounded across the emirate for nearly two hours as residents sheltered in place.
Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters, activated full air-raid protocols after radar detected inbound threats; no impacts were confirmed, but the alert forced temporary closure of Bahrain International Airport. Oman reported a single downed drone fragment striking a residential compound near Muscat, killing two foreign workers.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed the operation—“True Promise III”—targeted “U.S. occupation bases and their collaborators” and achieved “precise hits on military and economic targets.” State television broadcast footage of drone swarms launching from western Iran before dawn.
Trump’s Response: “Watch What Happens”
Speaking to reporters before boarding Marine One, President Trump described the Iranian strikes as “cowardly, desperate, and stupid.” He continued:
“They hit our friends in Saudi Arabia and the UAE—big mistake. Very big. We’ve already taken out most of their missiles, their navy is gone, their leadership is hiding. Now they poke the hornet’s nest again. Watch what happens. It’s going to be major. Very major.”
The president refused to detail potential U.S. responses but emphasized that “all options are on the table” and that any further attacks on Gulf allies would be met with “overwhelming force.” White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were seen entering the Situation Room shortly after the president’s remarks, signaling high-level deliberations on next steps.
U.S. military officials confirmed that additional F-22 Raptors, EA-18G Growlers, and refueling tankers have been surged to bases in Qatar and Jordan in recent days. The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, already operating in the Arabian Sea, moved closer to the Strait of Hormuz entrance, though Pentagon spokespeople stressed the repositioning was “defensive and precautionary.”
Why the Gulf Matters So Much
The attacks underscore Iran’s strategy of imposing asymmetric costs on Washington’s regional partners to erode their willingness to host U.S. forces and support the campaign against Tehran. By striking economic heartlands—oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and commercial hubs in the UAE—Iran aims to drive up global energy prices, trigger capital flight from Gulf financial centers, and create domestic political pressure in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to distance themselves from the conflict.
The timing is particularly damaging: the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to most commercial traffic, oil is trading above $100 per barrel, and the International Energy Agency has warned of the most severe supply shock in modern history. Any sustained damage to Saudi or UAE export capacity would push prices far higher and deepen the global economic fallout already being felt in soaring gasoline, airfares, and shipping costs.
Regional and International Reactions
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman convened an emergency meeting of the Supreme Economic Council and issued a statement affirming that the Kingdom “will defend its sovereignty and vital interests by all necessary means.” The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the strikes “a reckless escalation that threatens the stability of the entire region and global energy security.”
Israel, which has conducted over 200 strikes inside Iran in the past 24 hours, offered intelligence-sharing support to Gulf partners and reiterated its commitment to “joint defense against Iranian aggression.”
Russia and China condemned the U.S. and Israeli campaign while urging “immediate cessation of hostilities.” The UN Security Council scheduled an emergency session for Friday afternoon New York time at the request of Iran, though diplomats expect another round of vetoes and veto threats.
Outlook: Escalation or Deterrence?
Military analysts are divided on what comes next. Some believe the U.S. will respond with targeted strikes on remaining Iranian drone production facilities, coastal missile batteries, or naval assets in Bandar Abbas. Others warn that a large-scale U.S. operation risks drawing Iran into mining the Strait outright or activating dormant proxy networks in Iraq, Yemen, and Syria on a scale not yet seen.
For now, the president’s words hang heavy over an already volatile region: “Watch what happens.” In the third week of a war that has already redrawn Middle East security, redrawn energy markets, and upended global travel, those four words may soon translate into actions that determine whether the conflict spirals further or begins—however tenuously—to stabilize.
Juba Global News Network teams in Riyadh, Dubai, and Washington are monitoring developments hour by hour.
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