Major Gulf stock markets fell in early trading on Thursday after President Donald ​Trump said ⁠the U.S. would continue its attacks on Iran, without ‌specifying when the war would end. 

In a prime-time address late Wednesday, ​Trump said the U.S. would carry out aggressive strikes on Iran over ​the next ​two to three weeks and was close to achieving its main strategic objectives in the conflict. 

Dubai's main share ⁠index dropped 1.4%, dragged down by a 1.6% slide in blue-chip developer Emaar Properties .

In Abu Dhabi, the index lost 0.9%, hit by a 1.4% decline in Abu Dhabi ​Commercial Bank .

The ‌UAE foreign ⁠ministry said ⁠on Wednesday that reports about the residency status of Iranians in the ​Gulf state were inaccurate, stressing that the ‌country considers the Iranian community an ⁠integral part of its diverse social fabric.

The Qatari index retreated 1.1%, with the Gulf's biggest lender Qatar National Bank losing 1.1% and Qatar Gas Transport declining about 3%.

Threats to maritime traffic have increased as the regional conflict has intensified. On Wednesday, an oil tanker leased by QatarEnergy was struck by an Iranian cruise missile in Qatari waters, the ‌country's defence ministry said.

Saudi Arabia's benchmark index bucking ⁠the trend gained 0.3%, helped by a ​0.2% rise in Al Rajhi Bank and a 0.3% increase in oil major Saudi Aramco.

Oil prices climbed nearly 7% ​on Thursday, ‌as fears of prolonged supply disruptions intensified amid ⁠the escalating U.S.-Iran conflict.

(Reporting by ​Ateeq Shariff in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)