Luxurious and ultra-modern Dubai has also come under the spotlight amid widespread unrest in the Arab world, where Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several other top leaders were killed in a joint US-Israeli attack. A grief-stricken Iran has launched attacks on multiple countries in the Middle East.The killing of Khamenei and the massive U.S. and Israeli military campaign against Iran have sent Tehran into a state of madness. The Islamic Republic, without Khamenei, has launched ferocious retaliatory attacks against U.S. military bases and Israel in the Gulf, and has also targeted the region’s main commercial and tourist hub, the skyscraper city of Dubai, and nearby Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.Satellite images clearly captured the aftermath of the attack, comparing photos taken by Iran before and after it launched the attack.Images showed thick black smoke rising into the sky and the city’s iconic skyline turning gray after violent blasts and explosions.Over the years, Dubai’s views and skyline have rarely reflected the turmoil common in the Arab world, but instead symbolized the glamor and opulence of modern city life.The ornate, sail-shaped Burj Al Arab sits on Dubai’s Gulf Coast and has long been a symbol of the city’s wealth and ambition. Now, the iconic building has become a symbol of the crisis sweeping the region after Iranian missiles set parts of the building on fire.Residents watched in shock over the weekend as hundreds of drones and missiles targeted the United Arab Emirates and other U.S. Gulf allies that have long been a relatively safe haven from conflicts in the region.As the city of Dubai transformed over several decades from a humble desert outpost into a cosmopolitan hub of towering skyscrapers and global finance, many of its goals have strong symbolic value.In addition to the Burj Al Arab, a beloved landmark since it opened in 1999, there was also an explosion at a five-star hotel on the upscale Palm Jumeirah, a man-made island known as the playground of the world’s elite.Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest airport for international passengers, and Jebel Ali Port were also affected by the strike. According to official estimates, the two facilities together account for about 60% of Dubai’s revenue.Dalia, a 33-year-old Lebanese expatriate, was at the popular Kite Beach near the Burj Al Arab on Saturday when an interceptor system began destroying incoming missiles and drones from the air.Later, debris from an intercepted drone reportedly started a fire near the base of the hotel’s facade.
