A leading drone warfare expert has shared a full list of Middle Eastern airports that are most at risk of being hit by Iran. Speaking to the Express, Professor Peter Lee at the University of Portsmouth warned that major Middle Eastern tourist hubs could be shut down « with one missile » if tensions with Iran escalate.
His warning comes after a reported drone strike on RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, which he described as having limited physical impact but significant psychological consequences.
Professor Lee, who teaches war ethics and is experts on drone warfare, said: « Civilian airports are a much softer target, an easier target for Iran to try and hit than, say, a military airport, because military facilities will be very well defended. »
He added: « Civilian airports such as those in Dubai, Abu Dhabi… those ones will probably be the least defended. »
According to Lee, Iran would not necessarily need to cause mass casualties.
« For one missile, they can close down Dubai airport, » he said. « They only need to land. They don’t even need to cause any damage. They [Iran] only need to show that they can hit the airport or close to the airport, and the airport will probably close. »
The greater concern for British travellers, he suggested, is disruption rather than direct targeting – but disruption on a vast scale. Even a near miss could, he explained, ground flights for days, triggering international travel chaos and economic fallout.
« International airlines will not want to fly into an airport if missiles are landing nearby, » he said, adding that the actual risk after a missile lands is perceived differently by military planners and civilians.
He said: « If you’re talking about a single drone strike… then the risk is, in military terms, quite small that you will come to some harm.
« But that risk is probably higher than most civilians want to face. »
With Gulf hubs acting as key global transit points, even a temporary closure could leave tens of thousands stranded and ripple across Europe’s travel network, cause havoc and impact oil prices – so far the the major immediate goals for Iran.
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