Iran War Threatens Gulf Investment Boom in Central Asia

The 2026 U.S.-Israel war on Iran, the Ramadan War, which began with airstrikes on 28 February 2026 and involved Iranian retaliation via missiles, drones, and a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, has indirectly but significantly constrained investment plans by Persian Gulf petrostates, primarily Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, along with other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members, in Central Asia. These petrostates were not direct belligerents but suffered economic fallout from Iranian strikes on their energy infrastructure,…