For the first time in the month-long Israeli-American war on Iran, Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a missile attack against Israel on Saturday. The escalation threatens a widening of the scope of war into a regional conflict engulfing the whole of west Asia. Hours before the Houthi attack on Israel, Iran launched a missile and drone attack on the Prince Sultan Air Base north of Saudi capital Riyadh, damaging American aerial refuelling aircrafts and wounding a dozen American servicemen.
That attack on Friday night was accompanied by Iranian strikes on Israel and targets in the UAE as well. It occurred hours after Israeli strikes on the Arak power station in Iran. Stakes are high, despite American officials talking about negotiations with Iranian officials to reach a deal to end the war. US President Donald Trump extended his ultimatum to Iranian power stations another five days till 6 April, but attacks on power stations continued, targeting Bushehr, Arak and others.
Such developments, especially the Houthi involvement in the war, further suggest the possibility of the Gulf countries joining the war on Iran. Semi-official talks regarding this have increased in the last few days as Iran continues to attack Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in response to Israeli-American attacks on it.
With Washington sending more troops to the region, indicating that it might launch a ground offensive on Iranian soil, Tehran may retaliate by striking GCC countries it considers a launch-pad for American aggression. Nothing has changed in the stated official positions of the GCC countries, as they stress restraint in retaliating against Iranian targets and only intercepting Iranian strikes protecting their country in a defensive manner.
Unofficial statements indicate that the Gulf countries’ patience is running out and that there is a possibility of them joining the war. But again, the official stance is that the diplomatic and political solution is the best way to end the conflict and stop the war.
One Western former diplomat who previously served in the region notes that, even if GCC countries like the UAE and Bahrain want to join the war, they still need a joint GCC position supporting the move. “They would still be wary of isolation in the region for taking their Abraham Accords further into war alliance with Israel. That is not a move to be taken lightly while animosity against Israel is still rife in the region,” he told Al-Ahram Weekly.
The idea of a joint global effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz would be the best opportunity for GCC countries to join an effort against Iranian aggression. Though media reports, especially in the West, consist mainly of leaks quoting anonymous official sources, they can’t be ignored completely. Such reports in recent days draw a picture of what might be simmering under the surface in the Gulf. On Friday, Reuters reported that Gulf officials, whose countries have been repeatedly attacked, have told Washington in private meetings that the Islamic republic has left them no diplomatic “off-ramp”. Citing “four Gulf sources”, the report concluded that the GCC countries are pressuring Washington, demanding that “any deal with Tehran should do more than end the war, and must permanently curb Iran’s missile and drone capabilities and ensure global energy supplies are never again weaponised.”
It seems Gulf distrust is not confined to its long-term enemy, Iran, either. According to The Guardian, GCC countries were “reluctant to cheerlead alleged US ceasefire efforts” last week. This may well reflect the suspicion that peace talks could be a precursor for escalation. The piece in the British paper, by Hannah Ellis-Petersenin, concluded that Gulf states’ scepticism over alleged US-Iran talks “signals a distrust of Trump”.
News about the UK and France leading efforts to form a military alliance to reopen the Strait of Hormuz coincided with many reports of the UAE pushing for an international force, indicating it will join that alliance. But it is not yet clear if such efforts will bear fruit. The Financial Times reported that “Abu Dhabi is hardening its stance as it suffers from Iran’s retaliation to the US-Israeli war.” Joining a wider military alliance on Hormuz would be better than joining a US-Israeli war.
The media reported last week that the Sultanate of Oman, one of the six GCC members, refused to sign a joint statement condemning attacks by Iran and its proxies. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi “described Iranian strikes on cities like Dubai, Manama, and Doha as ‘the only rational option’ in response to the US and Israeli bombing campaign”.
The UAE’s hardened stance is understandable, since it bears the brunt of most Iranian attacks on its GCC neighbours. But it seems that stance is not exactly shared by the rest of the Gulf countries. Qatar, which is also being attacked by Iran, is maintaining a conciliatory position and trying to remain part of the mediation efforts led by Egypt along with Turkey and Pakistan. Even Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are not that enthusiastic to join a war spearheaded by Israel.
The GCC states will feel they are between a rock and a hard place, as they receive Iranian aggression and fear the Americans could reach a deal ignoring their real concerns. There is no guarantee that joining the war on Iran would secure Gulf interests in an anticipated American-Iranian deal. That said, there are others who don’t share this sentiment and believe that there is an outcome that truly benefits the Gulf as opposed to simply protecting Israeli interests.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 2 April, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.
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