Gulf States Nearing Alliance Against Iran - WSJ

US allies in the Persian Gulf are gradually approaching the possibility of participating in the fight against Iran, strengthening their position after continuous attacks that have undermined their economy and risk giving Tehran long-term influence over the Strait of Hormuz, The Wall Street Journal reports, writes UNN.

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Recent moves support America's ability to conduct airstrikes and open a new path to attack Tehran's finances. They have not yet gone so far as to openly deploy their armed forces in this fight—a line that Gulf rulers hoped not to cross, though pressure is mounting as Iran threatens to increase its influence in the energy-rich region.

According to sources familiar with the decision, Saudi Arabia recently agreed to allow American troops to use its King Fahd Air Base on the western side of the Arabian Peninsula. The Kingdom stated before the start of hostilities that it would not allow its facilities or airspace to be used for attacks on Iran. This attempt to stay out of the war failed when Iran began shelling Saudi Arabia's vital energy facilities and the capital Riyadh with missiles and drones.

According to sources, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is now seeking to restore deterrence and is close to making a decision to join the attacks. "The kingdom's entry into the war is only a matter of time," one source said.

"Saudi Arabia's patience with Iranian attacks is not limitless," Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan told reporters last week after a series of Iranian attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure. "Any belief that Gulf countries are incapable of responding is a miscalculation," he said.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates is beginning to take action against Iranian-owned assets, threatening a key source of support for the rulers in Tehran, while they discuss sending their troops to the front and lobby against a ceasefire that leaves some of Iran's military capabilities intact, the publication writes.

The Iranian Hospital and the Iranian Club in Dubai were recently closed, sources familiar with the situation said. On Monday, the hospital's phone numbers, WhatsApp channel, and website were unavailable. Dubai health authorities said the facility was no longer operational.

"Some institutions directly linked to the Iranian regime and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps will be closed as part of targeted measures after it is established that they were misused to promote goals that do not serve the interests of the Iranian people and in violation of UAE law," the government said.

The UAE, which for many years has been a financial hub for Iranian businesses and individuals, warned after massive attacks at the beginning of the war about the possibility of freezing billions of dollars in Iranian assets.

Such steps could significantly limit Tehran's access to foreign currency and global trade networks, as its domestic economy suffers from inflation and sanctions. The blocking was previously reported by AFP.

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Although Gulf countries have publicly stated that they will not participate in attacks on Iran and will not allow their airspace to be used for these purposes, the reality is less clear, the publication notes.

"Videos verified by Storyful, a company owned by News Corp, the parent company of The Wall Street Journal, indicate that some ground-launched missiles used to attack Iran were fired from Bahrain," the publication writes. "Five US Air Force refueling planes were hit by an Iranian missile strike and damaged on the ground at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia," US officials said.

The US military declined to comment on whether Arab countries are assisting in the fight, saying they would allow Gulf countries to speak for themselves.

The actions of the UAE and Saudi Arabia show how Arab monarchies are becoming increasingly involved in the US and Israeli offensive against Iran. This is a position they would not want to be in.

A direct attack on Iran would turn them into open combatants with a larger adversary located just a few steps away. They could find themselves in danger if President Trump suddenly announced an end to the war and left them alone with more difficult relations with Tehran. They also fear that any participation would be symbolic and unlikely to change the course of the war.

But Iran is forcing their hand, recently stating that it wants to participate in operations in the Strait of Hormuz after the war. Iran has closed the vital channel by attacking ships passing through it, but has allowed some ships that benefit from it to pass.

Tehran recently informed Arab officials that it wants to charge a transit fee, as Egypt does with the Suez Canal, people familiar with the discussions said.

This threat to the region's energy lifeline came after Iran unleashed missiles and drones on its Arab neighbors, attacking luxury hotels and airports, as well as oil refineries and fuel depots. The UAE alone had to repel more than 2,000 attacks.

Gulf leaders, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, are pressing Trump in regular phone calls to finish the job and destroy Iran's military capabilities before moving on, Arab officials said.

These steps also convince Arab states that they may have to inflict some punishment to restore deterrence, people familiar with the matter said.

The bet that US security guarantees and diplomatic engagement with Iran would ensure their security has collapsed. This conclusion became clearly evident last week when Iran attacked Qatar's Ras Laffan energy hub, and also struck a key Saudi energy hub on the Red Sea and facilities in Kuwait and the UAE. Qatar condemned the attack as a dangerous escalation and a direct threat to its national security.

According to Arab officials, Gulf countries are united in their anger towards Iran. But they are also resentful of the realization that they cannot significantly influence the Trump administration's decisions, despite being security partners and investing heavily in these relationships, they said.

The looming decision to "start shooting" symbolizes the difficult position in which American allies find themselves as a result of a conflict that has overturned years of strategic planning, leaving no good options for moving forward, the publication writes.

"They just got caught in this structural trap that weaker parties always find themselves in when allied with a stronger party," said Gregory Gause, an analyst of US-Gulf relations at the Middle East Institute in Washington. "If the stronger party takes belligerent positions, they fear they will be drawn into a war they don't want to fight."

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