‘Just a big show?’ Anxiety for Middle East after Iran-Israel attacks

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Climbing regional war, or a pile of choreographed theater?

Millions through the Middle East were invited to shelter in place Monday evening while the airspace closed above them and Iran fired a missile dam on the Air Base of Al-Wudeid in Qatar, the largest and most fortified military base in the region. Videos of interceptors lighting the night sky on Doha have become viral on social networks, while the flight tracking platforms showed passenger jets on the way to Dubai and Abu Dhabi suddenly reversing the course.

The Iranian strike, which American president Donald Trump later described as “weak” and which, according to the White House, was telegraphy before it was made to minimize the victims, came in response to unprecedented American strikes on Iranian nuclear installations last week,, which were made with the largest non -nuclear bombs on earth.

Trump said a ceasefire and called for peace. It remains to be seen if Israel and Iran will accept and stick to a ceasefire, and even more questions remain: what happened to the uranium supplies enriched with Iran? How much damage has been caused in all strikes? Does it end here? Will the Iranian government survive? Will the airspace reopen and will the flights resume throughout the region?

The people of the region expressed their feelings, their fears and their hopes in conversations with CNBC. Several of these people have chosen to do so on condition of anonymity, due to the significant nature of their comments and the concerns of state repercussions or their employers.

“In my opinion, this war had a winner – and it was the United States. Because he has also shown Israel that without the United States, he cannot win – or even end – a war. And the second loser was the Islamic Republic, which realized that he had no military capacity to counter the most large Losists, and that the United States could access Iran each time it did not. So that everything is destroyed in a question of nights. “” – H., commercial director of oil and gas in Tehran, Iran

“I’m so” ehhh “on this subject. It just seemed to be a big show. I guess everyone is waiting for Iran will react. This is probably the best scenario to calm things. I hope attention will come back to Gaza now. Many people are still killed every day.” – Saed Elayan, Palestinian entrepreneur living in Dubai

“People laugh at the very limited scope of Iran’s operation against Al -Wudeid. However, Tehran has in fact succeeded in transmitting a powerful geostrategic message to the Gulf States: instead of being a source of protection, the organization of American forces on their soil could – and would indeed – only invite devastating attacks.” – Mo, living American American in Cairo

“We are completely beyond. We are angry, frustrated, sad and frightened. We feel helpless and we feel a huge amount of injustice. We are tired of being attacked and destabilized by the United States and Israel under the guise of” free ourselves from tyranny “. It is laughable and that we all see through it-we just want to live in peace Be massacred to just want to exist. ” – Kareem, Egyptian entrepreneur living in Dubai

“Honestly, I am not all that cares about Iran. They have caused more deaths in Iraq in the past 70 years than Israel in Palestine. And if they decide to bomb, who am I to oppose it. My only hope is that they keep it without training the rest of the region.” – A., Iraqi expatriate living in Dubai

“Like all the other small interactions between Iran and Israel, it was very, very short-lived, and they had some sort of skirmish and then called it one day. I knew I don’t know, the fight to slap, little like a B —- Fight Slap from time to time, and anyway, the two parts could go and save the two and save the two Technically, because there was no war, so there is technically no loser. – Amir Hamidfar, content creator and video editor, Isfahan, Iran

“As Lebanese with a Saudie and water company, I want it to be finished as soon as possible. We are at an equal distance not to like the two countries [Iran and Israel] And are so resilient that we are not worried, but we want it to be finished. “” – Cam Khoury, Lebanese entrepreneur, Dubai

“For me personally as a Swiss citizen, I feel safe in Dubai. But I feel very bizarre, living a normal life, by publishing on social networks, it is bad. Currently, mainly worried about the flight situation – while others are afraid for their lives. And I am so shocked that Israel can simply attack a sovereign state without consequences.” “” – Luisa, Swiss expatriate working in Dubai

“I hate to wake up and ask myself what happened. I’m going to sleep without any idea of ​​the region in the morning. I should have taken out from here earlier than I had planned, now if the flights remain anchored, I am stuck. But I hope it is the end of this and that it does not worsen from here.” – H., American expatriate in Dubai

“There has been a deep feeling of fear – not only of war, but of something untangled. We live in the shadow of an existential threat, where the future seems somewhat fragile and uncertain. And yet, alongside this fear, there is a persistent hope: that this moment of crisis could also be a turning point for something better.” – Cochav Elkayam Levy, president of the civil committee, center of Israel

“My family is fine thank you … I think I’m more anxious than them. Holy S — MEC, as it is. It is now or never [for the Iranian regime to fall]. So much about it. So much hope. So much to cry. So many things to express joy. It is a fucking bipolar experience at the moment of being Iranian. “” – S., Iranian expatriate and consultant in Dubai

“”I am essentially concerned about the shelters that Dubai are no longer refuges because the United States and Israel can act independently of international rules and with impunity. That the rest of the region will be trained in this war because of the Egos. Will my property price be allocated? Will Dubai be a safe place where to live? Will my relatives in Iraq be safe since they are so close to Iran? “” – F., Iraqi expatriate and lawyer in Dubai

“” There is a feeling of relief that the nuclear and disruptive capacities of Iran and the proxies have been seriously degraded-but also a deep anxiety about the risk of another regional war on a large scale, and a fragile cease-fire which is unlikely. Starting a war is one thing – finishing is another. You must ask yourself if the Middle East is condemned to “wars forever”, or if true prevention of conflicts and peacebuilding will take root “.” – Mazen Hayek, media consultant, Dubai

“The neighboring countries must unite and put pressure on Israel to immediately stop their implacable attacks on Iran for any chance of peace. The current environment is a bit scary for many and will have a negative impact on tourism, real estate, investors and overall security in the Persian Gulf. As a long -standing resident who has experienced all conflicts since the Gulf War, I am deeply concerned – on the Gulf penins. ” – K., founder of an energy consulting cabinet, European expatriate in Dubai