By: Hassan Ismail
February 28, 2026
The Iranian response, manifested in the widespread attack across several Gulf regions—and recently confirmed by Tehran in a statement urging its citizens to leave five Gulf states—employs a strategy that transcends mere military objectives. It goes beyond neutralizing radar stations and ballistic missile interceptor bases to a much more sophisticated and profound strategic depth.

• Exporting the War’s Impact: Tehran is intelligently expanding the realization of the war’s gravity, ensuring it is not confined solely to Iranian territory.
• Challenging the American Narrative: When Trump justified the strikes by claiming a desire to “liberate” Iranians from the Supreme Leader’s rule, Iran responded by launching missiles over vast areas. The message to the local populations: “American bases will bring you more harm than security.”
• Globalizing the Outcry: Tehran aims to widen the “circle of outcry” against the war, demonstrating that this is not a conflict between two sides, but a catastrophe whose consequences are shared by the entire region.
• Distributing the Burden: By spreading the weight of losses across all regional actors, Iran seeks to amplify the collective demand for de-escalation.
• Back-Channel Diplomacy: Tehran remains capable of “under-the-table” understandings with Riyadh and Doha regarding the dangers of the regional balance tipping in favor of the Zionist entity.