Dhaka, March 14 -- Beyond the physical devastation of debris and casualties, the high-tech display of AI-guided weaponry, and growing fears over the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, it is the shattering of Dubai's image as a "safe haven" that has captured the most intense focus in Western media.

Some commentators have invoked the imagery of a "mirage" to describe the aftermath of Iran's retaliatory strikes on the Gulf state's luxury hotels, towers, and airports.

The sentiment was echoed by those who observed that the "Dubai fantasy" marketed by global influencers had effectively vanished in a "puff of missile smoke".

For decades, the global elite bought into a carefully constructed promise: no matter how volatile the Middle East became...