Khamenei dead, Iran’s ruling establishment has entered what can only be described as survival mode. Faced with a threat it views not merely as strategic but existential, Tehran is responding with instincts of a system under siege. That’s why Gulf states, too, have found themselves in the crosshairs. Objective is regime preservation – and willingness to raise costs across the region reflects precisely that.
Even Oman – long positioned as a discreet diplomatic bridge and recently at the forefront of efforts to revive a nuclear deal – reported missiles heading toward its economically vital port of Duqm.