Arab Nations’ Era of Accommodating Iran Is Over

Excerpt

Tehran is lashing out at its Arab neighbors as the U.S.-Israeli strikes intensify, making clear it is willing to inflict maximum harm and damage to the Persian Gulf states, expanding the battlefield and dragging them into the storm. Since the conflict began, Iran has launched more than 2,500 missiles and drones toward Gulf states, targeting everything from cities to energy infrastructure to economies, which now serve as collateral in Iran’s confrontation with the U.S. and Israel.

For years, many Arab governments convinced themselves this moment would never arrive. They hedged and tolerated aspects of Tehran’s regional activities. Yet, the strategy has failed. Saudi Arabia normalized relations with Iran in 2023, but its oil infrastructure is now being targeted. The United Arab Emirates serves as a hub for Iranian sanctions evasion, yet it too faces missile and drone attacks. Qatar and Oman host Iran’s proxies, but they have not been spared either.

Ahmad Sharawi is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.