Iran Pushes Gulf Arab States Toward Israel

Iran Pushes Gulf Arab States Toward Israel

Hugh Fitzgerald

The Islamic Republic several days ago made the biggest mistake in its 47-year-old history. Its strategy beggars belief. Tehran apparently came to the dreamy conclusion that if it launched ballistic missiles and drones at all of its Sunni Arab neighbors, aiming not just at American military bases but at civilian infrastructure — hotels, apartment buildings, government buildings, airports, oil refineries and more in Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and Jordan — those countries would plead with the Americans to stop attacking Iran. 

It was a crazy idea, and the Iranian rulers, with close to fifty of the country’s civilian and military leaders just killed, clearly have lost the plot. Instead of those Arab countries wanting to stop the war, they are now taking great satisfaction in Iran’s military being decimated. Already Qatar has struck back at Iran; the UAE and Saudi Arabia may soon follow. The Iranians, instead of stopping their attacks on the Gulf Arabs, are using up their ballistic missiles —86% of its prewar stock having been destroyed on the ground or intercepted in flight — to teach their neighbors a lesson.

More on Iran’s attacks, that have caused the Gulf Arabs to draw closer to Israel, can be found here: “Tehran’s miscalculation: How Iranian missiles brought Gulf states, Israel together – analysis,” by Herb Keinon, Jerusalem Post, March 4, 2026:

To many, it seems like an end-of-days scenario: Qatar and Israel on the same team.

Who would have thought? In September, Israel attacked in Qatar, targeting terrorist leaders the Gulf state was housing. But here we are. After five days of war with Iran, the Iranians have succeeded in putting Israel and Qatar on the same team – to say nothing of the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, and even Saudi Arabia – all countries targeted over the past five days by Iranian missiles and drones.

By some estimates, Iran has fired more missiles and drones at Gulf states combined than at Israel.

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