Iran’s ballistic missiles and barrages of drones have hit the Gulf states hard. The Iranians have damaged airports, apartment houses, oil and gas facilities, power plants, and desalination plants. Qatar alone says it has suffered $20 billion in damages to its infrastructure. Now the Gulf states, with the UAE in the lead, have hardened their stance against Iran, and are talking of launching their own attacks on Iran. More on the Gulf Arabs, now sounding as if they are no longer willing to endure Iranian attacks without a response, and are preparing to strike back, can be found here: “Gulf states say they’re ready for ‘self defense’ as stance shifts on Iran war,” by Holly Ellyatt and Emma Graham, CNBC, March 26, 2026:
Gulf states issued a joint statement on Thursday condemning Iran’s “blatant” and “criminal” attacks against their energy infrastructure, signaling a readiness to act in “self defense” in the future.
The Gulf states stressed that attacks launched from Iraqi territory by armed factions and proxies loyal to Iran were a particular grievance, and a breach of international law.
“While we value our fraternal relations with the Republic of Iraq, we call on the Iraqi government to take the necessary measures to immediately halt the attacks … toward neighboring countries,” the joint statement by the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan commented Thursday,
An end to such attacks is necessary “in order to preserve brotherly relations and avoid further escalation,” according to the statement.
The Gulf states reaffirmed their “full and inherent right to self-defense against these criminal attacks,” in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, which guarantees the right of states to self-defense, individually and collectively, in the event of aggression.
They also reserved the right “to take all necessary measures to safeguard our sovereignty, security, and stability.”…
Israel is doing its level best to batter Iran’s military, speeding things up as it senses Trump wants to end this conflict in a matter of a few weeks. The IDF is hitting Iran’s stores of ballistic missiles, its missile launchers, its ballistic missile manufacturing plants. Along with the American military, the IDF has struck Iran’s uranium enrichment sites, which the Americans already battered with their bunker busters in the Twelve-Day War last June, at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. The IDF has also killed several dozen senior leaders, both military and civilian. These include the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, many senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, leaders of the Basij militia, nuclear and missile scientists, the head of the IRGC navy who was in charge of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the head of the Supreme National Security Council, and even spokesmen for the regime. Every few days the IDF announces the death of another senior leader.
And up and down the Gulf, Arab states, especially the UAE and Saudi Arabia, are beginning to look at Israel in a different, most appreciative, light. And that view won’t end when this war with Iran ends. These states realize that a strong Israel is a force for stability in the region. The Jewish state is able to keep the Muslim-Brotherhood-inspired terrorists in check, and the Muslim Brotherhood is the sworn enemy of the Gulf Arab monarchies.
As for the Palestinians, they are now on everyone’s back burner. The Gulf Arab states have other things to worry about. As it says, more or less, in The Godfather, “Ah, Palis…won’t see them around no more.”
Billy says
Sunni Muslims(eg. Turkey, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, etc.) are Allah’s Terrorists against Non-Muslims like the Shia Muslims in Iran as taught by Allah in Islam’s Qur’an(Qur’an 9:5, 29, 111; 49:15, etc.). Muslims are not true friends or allies of Non-Muslims when Allah in Qur’an 5:51 says, “O you who have believed[Muslims], DO NOT TAKE the Jews and the Nasara(Christians) as friends. They are friends to one another. And whoever among you takes them as friends, so surely he is of them. Surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.” Also, Allah says that Jews are the worst enemies of the Muslims in Qur’an 5:82.
Tony says
In war, Israel and America should be targeting Mosques, Universities, Schools, Islamic Centers etc., starting with the largest where Muslim Leaders hide and store military equipment and supplies for war against Non-Muslims. Muslims have been targeting civilian homes, schools, hotels, etc. in Israel where there are no soldiers.
Allah rewards Muslims with Paradise when they kill and are killed in Jihad, war against Non-Muslims to make Islam supreme. Allah in Qur’an 49:15 teaches, “Surely the believers[Muslims] are only those who believed in Allah and his messenger. They do not doubt, and they performed JIHAD with their MONEY and their LIVES for the sake of Allah. Those are the truthful.” Allah in Qur’an 9:29 commands, “Engage in war with those who do not believe in Allah nor in the last day[Non-Muslims]. Nor forbid what Allah and his messenger forbid[in Islamic Law], nor believe in the religion of the truth[Islam] among those who have given the book[Jews and Christians] until they pay the jizyah[Extortion Payment] out of hand and they are subdued[disgraced].”
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Yesterday, there was one bit of news about the IRGC declaring war on Syria. One result of destroying the military leadership of the islamic regime has been that the IRGC has been freely lobbing missiles at anybody and everybody around them – from Azerbaijan to the Emirates. Usually, if a country is at war w/ another country, it just focuses on that enemy, which in their case would have been Israel. But they’ve attacked every country in b/w and made everyone ready to join a war against them
Oh, and I hadn’t even noticed that Iraq is now being challenged for allowing IRGC-affiliated shi’a militias to launch attacks on these Arab countries from Iraqi territory. This is somewhat hilarious – almost like the break b/w Qatar and its Arab neighbors 7 years ago, although this time, Doha is on the same side as the rest of them. Now, the shi’a dominated regime in Baghdad has to pick b/w its Arab neighbors vs its own shi’a majority. I’d love to be a fly on the wall in Baghdad wherever they’re discussing what to do about it
I do think Hugh has rose-colored glasses when he thinks that Saudi Arabia will look at Israel in a different light. Like he has himself noted in the past, muslim loyalties (or friendships) cannot be bought: only rented! Just look at Kuwait: they were very happy w/ us in 1992, but today, all that is forgotten, and they are an ally of Qatar and the muslim brotherhood. Once the Saudis no longer need Israel to protect themselves from Iran, they may well drop the idea of normalizing relations. Unless, of course, Turkey fills in the void left by Iran and tries to assert its hegemony in the region to the point that they threaten Saudi Arabia. Which of course, could happen!
One more thing: the Arab countries should not get any say on the future of Iran, once this regime collapses. If the Iranian people decide to throw off islam and become a secular democracy, they had better not treat Iran like they treated Israel!
ploome says
regarding:
“Gulf states say they’re ready for ‘self defense’ as stance shifts on Iran war,”
just waiting another few weeks until USA and Israel finish their bombings.
Wake me when these arab.states begin. their “self defense”
࿗Infidel࿘ says
If Iranians abolish the islamic republic and replace it w/ a secular anything, particularly when combined w/ vast numbers of Iranians openly apostatizing from islam, those Arab neighbors will consider it another “naqba”, like they do Israel. Why does anyone think that they’ll tolerate the idea of a non-islamic, non-muslim Iran, when such a country will be
⮞ More attractive to non-muslim invaders, both Western and Eastern
⮞ More attractive to non-muslim tourists, given the tourist attractions of pre-islamic Persia
Today, one reason that countries like the Emirates and Bahrein are attractive is that they look way saner than their neighbors, be it the islamic republic to the north or the Saudis and Qataris. But once Iran becomes either a Pahlavi monarchy or a non-islamic republic, that prize will no longer be their’s. So it makes no sense to think that Arab countries, after heaving a sigh of relief at the fall of the shi’a theocracy, will be okay w/ its replacement by a completely non-islamic nation
Ralph says
Where’s TE Lawrence when we need him?