IRGC-Linked Analyst Threatens Precision Strikes Against UAE Economic Hubs in Escalating Gulf Standoff

An intelligence assessment indicates a significant escalation in Iranian asymmetric warfare doctrine, following a televised threat by analyst Mostafa Khoshcheshm on IRGC-affiliated Ofogh TV. The broadcast explicitly identified five civilian economic and technology zones in Dubai—Dubai Airport Free Zone, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Silicon Oasis, and Jebel Ali Free Zone—as potential targets should the United States initiate military action against Iran. This represents a calculated shift toward economic warfare, directly threatening the United Arab Emirates, Washington's primary regional partner. The warning emerges amid heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, including recent drone incidents near the USS Abraham Lincoln and IRGC harassment of commercial shipping. With U.S.–Iran nuclear negotiations scheduled in Oman, the threat introduces a coercive element aimed at influencing diplomatic outcomes while testing alliance cohesion. The targeting of civilian infrastructure marks a dangerous expansion of proxy conflict parameters, potentially destabilizing global energy markets and regional security architecture.