SINCE the past several weeks, a war has been raging in the Gulf and Middle East region. While missiles, interceptors and drones are instruments of 21st-century warfare, a trait shared with conflicts in the last century is the grave impact on cities. Whether it is Tehran or Beirut, the brunt of the impact is borne by the urban population. Tens of thousands of residential buildings in Tehran have been partially or completely damaged. Cultural sites, university buildings and military and civilian institutional structures add to this estimate. There is limited information from Tel Aviv but multiple missile attacks by Iran have caused widespread destruction in the city and the wider region. Beirut, sadly home to several earlier conflicts, has reported the forced eviction of over a million residents on account of Israeli attacks. Cities in Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and even Oman and Turkiye have experienced infrastructural damage. With no ceasefire in sight, it is feared that even tougher times lie ahead.

Cities are a natural target of aggression by belligerent countries. The attacking forces intend to cause critical damage to the enemies’ decision-making apparatus. In Tehran, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and some of his family members, Dr Ali Larijani and some of his family members, and many other high-ranking Iranian officials........

© Dawn