The escalating fight between the United States and Iran is opening a chasm among Washington’s Arab allies. Officials across the region are frustrated and warn that the current dynamic won’t bring Tehran to its knees.
1+Some are even proposing that President Donald Trump take the aggressive step of sending ground forces into Iran and seizing Kharg Island—believing only a crushing blow will force Iran to release its grip on the Strait of Hormuz. On the other side, countries like Qatar are demanding an immediate halt to the fighting, fearing a return to the massive bombardments of March and April.
The economic and security costs of the conflict—which Gulf states urged Washington not to start—keep mounting. Iranian missile and drone attacks have hit water and electricity facilities in Kuwait, oil tanker traffic has been disrupted, and ambitious development plans in artificial intelligence and tourism in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are now at risk.
1+Growing frustration has led the Gulf states to make clear they won’t contribute a single dollar to the planned $300 billion Iranian reconstruction fund, angry at being asked to finance those attacking their own infrastructure. With mounting doubts about America’s ability to protect them, some Gulf nations have already begun exploring closer security ties with European countries instead.