Following sweeping US-Israeli strikes on Iranian infrastructure, Iran has declared all Middle Eastern banks legitimate targets, prompting HSBC to close its Qatari branches and sparking Iranian drone strikes on Omani fuel depots.
In the context of the sweeping March 2026 joint US-Israeli offensive against Iran, the IDF announced it has initiated a "widespread wave of strikes" targeting the infrastructure of what it termed the "Iranian terror regime," according to Abu Ali Express. This military campaign has triggered immediate and severe retaliatory threats from Tehran directed at regional economic centers and neighboring states.
Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters issued an urgent regional warning, asserting that following an attack by the "American-Israeli enemy" on an Iranian bank, all banks and economic targets in the Middle East are now considered legitimate military targets. According to Abu Saleh The Arab Desk—a channel whose captured sentiments reflect a narrative stance critical of both the US and Israel—the Iranian military command warned residents of Persian Gulf states to "stay at least 1 kilometer away from banks," promising a "decisive response" against US and Israeli interests. In the immediate fallout from this threat, the HSBC international banking corporation announced the closure of all its branches in Qatar until further notice, as reported by Abu Ali Express.
The Iranian warnings quickly materialized into physical strikes in the Gulf. Iranian UAVs attacked fuel depots at the port of Salalah in southern Oman. Abu Ali Express, an Israeli channel characterized by a pro-Israel and fiercely anti-Iran editorial stance, framed this development as Iran "attacking the mediator between it and the US," according to the channel's report.
Despite the Iranian strikes on Omani sovereign territory, Oman's diplomatic response focused its condemnation squarely on the United States and Israel. The Omani Foreign Minister stated that the "American and Israeli strikes on Iran are a new link in a dangerous chain of violations," warning they threaten to undermine the legal frameworks that have provided regional stability, according to a translated statement shared by Abu Ali Express. The minister also explicitly declared that Oman would not join the regional peace council or normalize relations with Israel, asserting that the current war is not fundamentally tied to Iran's nuclear program since negotiations had recently reached a very advanced stage.
The contrast between the quoted Arab/Iranian statements and the Hebrew-language channels reporting them highlights a sharp cross-narrative divide. While the Iranian military and Omani diplomats utilize terms like "American-Israeli enemy" and frame the Western operations as illegal "aggression" and "violations," the Hebrew-language commentary views the Arab diplomatic response with visible derision. Following the Omani minister's statement, Abu Ali Express mockingly asked "How much of a rag are the Omanis?" arguing it is "unbelievable" that Oman publicly attacks the US and Israel while "licking the Iranians" who are actively bombarding their territory.
The source material consists entirely of Hebrew-language Telegram channels translating and reacting to Arab and Iranian statements. Therefore, the 'Arabic narrative' presented is mediated through Hebrew translations. The sentiment metadata provided for 'Abu Saleh The Arab Desk' (israel:negative, usa:negative) was noted and incorporated as requested, though it represents an unusual profile for a Hebrew-language security channel. The reports seamlessly integrate with the provided background context regarding 'Operation Lion's Roar' and the subsequent regional fallout.