Gulf states back in the crosshairs

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Hello, I'm Neil Kochsal. Good evening. I'm Chris Houdin. This is as it happens.

Tonight caught in the crossfire, a professor in Doha tells us what the latest escalation between Iran and the U.S. means for him and other civilians in the region where American military bases and the communities that surround them are under fire again.

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This week's resumption of hostilities between Iran and the US doesn't just imperil people in those countries. It puts residents of the entire region at risk. After three vessels were struck in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday and Tuesday, the U.S. began targeting military and civilian infrastructure inside Iran once again. Now, Iran has resumed retaliatory strikes on

American military bases in Jordan and throughout the Gulf, with reports of attacks in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. Mehran Kamrava is a professor of government at Georgetown University in Doha, cut her just minutes away from the largest US military base in the Middle East. That's where we reached him earlier today. Professor Indoha you're not far from from Al Udeid air base.

Are you close enough to have heard or to see any evidence of these attacks for yourself? I haven't this time around. I live about 30 kilometers away from Al Udeid and the last time when there was an attack or there were major attacks on Aludade, the entire house would shake and we would hear these loud booms. But last night we didn't hear anything. We

do get alerts and these alerts used to be different. The alerts would go off when your phone was on silent, but now they don't necessarily go off if your phone is on silent. It sounds like there's, as we often see and hear from guests, living in these kinds of situations, there's a bit of resignation and people unfortunately learn to live with

the possibilities. Exactly. What happened was when the war first broke out in February and March, there was somewhat of an exodus of people. But now there is a resignation that life needs to go on. We have

actually finally gotten back to normal at university classes or in person. And life has been getting back to normal and we're all collectively hoping that those dark days do not return again. Qatar and the other countries that are affected are so far saying that they've been able to

intercept these latest Iranian strikes in large part. But I wonder, Professor, what all of this renewed fighting, this uncertainty means for those efforts to try to keep that sense of normalcy? A number of things.

First of all, the economic consequences are tremendous, not just in terms of the inability of the states of the Persian Gulf to export oil and gas, but also the fact that so many people like me live here in the region is because this region has been not only economically prosperous, but a very safe environment to live, to work, and to bring up families, as

I have done. But now that stability and that sense of security has been shattered. And so moving forward, it isn't just the inability of these states to use the straight of hormones and to export their oil and gas, but it is the increased costs of business. But I I think we should also remember that over the last 24 hours, something like 17 Iranians

have died. And so the fact that there is a war in Iran also means that there are shattered lives on the other side as well. I did want to ask you about that because you're a member of the majority of Qatar's population

that has come from elsewhere. You're originally from Iran. You still have family there. What is all of that like for you personally?

Well it's extremely difficult to see. There are people who are losing their lives, there's civilian infrastructure that's being destroyed. President Trump yesterday threatened water desalination plants in Iran.

And so of course watching the destruction and the human costs isn't easy for anyone, But when your family is involved, it's even more difficult. Iran and the U.S. are each blaming the other side for the breakdown of what was already a very fragile peace agreement, ceasefire agreement.

Who do you blame for where things are right now? I blame both sides. Certainly if you listen to the Iranians, they are blaming the Americans for breaking the terms of the MOU and the Americans are doing the same thing. They're blaming the

Iranians. But we're in a situation where neither side is willing to show restraint. And of course