The Gulf Arab states have been increasingly worried that the Americans might stop the war with Iran before that country has been so thoroughly battered that it will not, for a very long time, be able to threaten its neighbors again. Those states have been the object of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones that have caused tens of billions of dollars in infrastructure damage. Qatar alone estimates its costs to repair damages from Iran to be at least $20 billion. The UAE has had more Iranian missiles and drones launched at it than has Israel.
The Gulf Arab states are urging the Americans to continue the war until Iran’s military has been completely flattened. They have also expressed their anger with other members of the Arab League — especially Egypt — for not having forthrightly condemned Iran and expressed complete solidarity with the Gulf Arab states. Now the UAE ambassador to the US has set out his country’s view of what a peace with Iran should look like in an article in the Wall Street Journal. More on his views can be found here: “UAE ambassador to US warns against ending Iran war too soon,” Jerusalem Post, March 25, 2026:
The United Arab Emirates’ ambassador to the United States, Yousef Al Otaiba, argued in a Wall Street Journal op-ed published Wednesday that the war with Iran should end in a way that removes Tehran’s long-term threat to the region, a message that came as Gulf states stepped up public warnings over Iranian attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure.
In the op-ed, titled “The UAE Stands Up to Iran,” Al Otaiba wrote that the current war required a conclusive outcome that addressed the full scope of the Islamic Republic’s threat. The piece appeared on the WSJ’s opinion pages on Wednesday afternoon.
Al Otaiba’s article landed amid rising signs that key Gulf states are taking a harder public line against Tehran after weeks of regional escalation tied to the US-Israel war with Iran.
Reuters reported Wednesday that Gulf Arab states told the United Nations Human Rights Council that Iranian missile and drone attacks posed an “existential threat,” and that representatives from Kuwait and the UAE accused Iran of seeking to destabilize the international order through terror and expansionism….
In the week before Otaiba published his piece, Trump made statements suggesting that he wanted to declare victory and put a stop to the war. Otaiba’s piece was part of an effort by the Gulf Arabs to warn the Americans not to stop fighting until Iran’s military was no longer able to respond by hitting targets in the Gulf.
In less than a month, Iran’s attacks on all of its Arab neighbors — especially the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait — have pushed them into an unstated alliance with Israel. When the IDF destroys a ballistic missile factory in Iran, or a storehouse with 200 missiles, it is not only making itself safer, but also those Gulf Arab states that have been on the receiving end of Iranian missiles. When the IDF assassinates IRGC commanders, or strikes, yet again, a uranium enrichment site built deep underground in Fordow, Natanz, or Isfahan, it is decreasing Iran’s present and future ability to harm the Gulf Arab states.
The Gulf Arabs now realize Israel is the “strongest in enmity” to the Islamic Republic, and thus their undeclared ally. They no longer want to weaken Israel, but have a stake in Israel staying strong. It is Israel that will make sure that the Islamic Republic will not be able to rearm to threaten its neighbors again, Israel that will help remove the curse of Hezbollah from Lebanon, Israel that can help the Gulf monarchies suppress the Muslim Brotherhood that is a permanent threat to their existence. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and even Qatar, the state that for years supported Hamas and provided refuge for its leaders, now see Israel as an indispensable force for stability in the region. A year ago, who woulda thunk it?
ploome says
the neighboring (sunni) arabs are really willing to fight Iran to the last American
very trustworthy allies, no?
GE says
They love to play “Let’s you and him fight.”
࿗Infidel࿘ says
That was my reaction as well! I don’t know why Hugh, who once upon a time as VP of Jihadwatch, was the most suspicious of muslims, and who once observed that “muslim loyalties can never be bought, only rented” – now thinks that once the islamic regime falls, everything will be hunky dory b/w the Arab countries and Israel? They’ll happily be like Kuwait – who today is no ally of the US
Only way Hugh might turn out to be right is if Turkey fills in the vacuum as Israel’s #1 enemy, and also tries to re-assert its leadership of islam and neo-Ottoman ambitions. That’s one scenario where some, not all, Arab countries may ally w/ Israel
gravenimage says
Just what I was thinking, Ploome…
CryHavoc says
Do not think for a second that the other Shari’a pest holes in the ME region are our friends or allies. Part of the reason is that Iran is Shi’a while most of the ME is Sunni. In case you forgot, most of the 9/11 attackers came from Saudi Arabia and the Wahhabis in Saudi Arabia lead Death to America chants. The only reason we tolerate such places distant the oil needs to flow. The only way Iran will change is to get rid of the SRC. Iran’s theocracy needs to end.
Brat says
This is just “good Muslim, bad Muslim” posturing.
There is no such thing as a good or peaceful Muslim. The Quran demands that they be at war with nonmuslims everywhere and at all times.
Steve says
When Qatar stops funding anti Israel activities maybe then I’ll believe it.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Qatar and Kuwait are openly on record as saying that they will not normalize relations w/ Israel. Kuwait has said that it will be the last to do so
Wellington says
Temporary alliances with certain Muslims against other Muslims is defensible but never trust any Muslims. In the final analysis, be prepared to use them far more than they use us, we being, blah, blah, blah in typical Islamic rot stuff, “the vilest of creatures”(Sura 98:6).
In any case, no remnant of the Iranian regime should survive. It must be gone completely. Forever like. And if temporarily having other deluded followers of the worst religion of all time on our side, then so be it. After all, exigent circumstances so very often call for exigent solutions.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Precisely! I have no idea where Hugh is coming from when he claims that those Arab countries will permanently befriend Israel due to what they are doing to the islamic regime in Iran
gravenimage says
Agreed.
James Lincoln says
So, is the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait willing to fork over some big bucks to both the United States and Israel who are in the very expensive process of removing the Iranian threat?
Brenrod says
Let’s see their troops, how many battalions are they sending to fight Iran?
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Probably best that they don’t. The Arabs in general hate their non-Arab neighbors – be it Iranians, Kurds, Turks,…. If Arab ground troops landed in Iran, they’d indiscriminately massacre the local populace, unlike the Israelis and the Americans who are only targeting political and military assets. It’ll be like the 1980s Ira* war when Saddam Hussein’s attack on Iran consolidated support behind the new islamic regime, which may otherwise just not have been there
OLD GUY says
Islam is a “religion” of rule and deception at all cost. Their leadership will use anyone and support anyone who fathers their strength. And they will turn on you like a rattle snake.
ploome says
Islam is a “religion” of rule and deception at all cost and essentially THEFT.
They are encouraged to plunder and pillage and take slaves…especially women and girls.
Winston 101 says
To All of the Above,
Ditto! Ditto! Ditto! Islam is still Islam.
The last sentence of the article should be: “For now.”
It’s called Cynical Allies. Am I momentarily pleased? Yes. Do I trust any Islam? No.
Remember “Uncle Joe” of the USSR in WWII?
Remember how the Left and tender hearted liberals wanted us to trust that Empire?
The U.S. wound up with Soviet Spies in Roosevelt’s government and Communist ideas in domestic policy.
Then there’s Nixon in China? How did that work out for the U.S.?
Totalitarians are going to do what Totalitarians have got to do.
Therefore the U.S. should:
Maintain a healthy, friendly alliance with Israel that benefits the U.S.
Get “Petrodollar Jihad” out of the U.S. i.e. Immigration,Education, Real Estate, Elections and All Levels of Government, including Dog Catcher, etc, etc.
Treat Islam as the invading, competing form of government that it is
Bar Islam at our Borders