Gulf economies face sharpest disruption since the pandemic

Iran’s retaliatory strikes across the Gulf have triggered the most widespread business disruption in the region since the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing airport closures, halting port operations and sending shockwaves through financial markets.

The attacks, launched in response to a joint US-Israeli assault on Iran, landed across every major state in the Gulf, a region that has spent decades building its reputation as one of the world’s most reliable business hubs. Three people were killed by the attacks in the United Arab Emirates...