Persian Gulf states irritated by US actions in conflict with Iran — Bloomberg

Lead

Persian Gulf states are growing frustrated with the ongoing US-Iran conflict, which threatens their security and economies, and some are reconsidering their reliance on Washington as a security partner, according to analysts and reports cited by TASS.

Coverage Comparison

TASS reported on the issue in three separate articles, drawing on an interview with Mehran Kamrava, a professor of Government at Georgetown University in Qatar, and on a Bloomberg report citing unnamed sources. The coverage highlights both the immediate frustrations among Washington's Gulf allies and longer-term concerns about the reliability of US security guarantees.

Key Claims

The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28, striking Tehran and other major Iranian cities, according to TASS. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a retaliatory operation targeting sites in Israel, while US military bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates also came under attack.

In June, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding providing for an immediate ceasefire on all fronts. However, tensions flared again in early July after a Qatari gas carrier and a Saudi oil tanker came under fire on July 7. The following day, the United States resumed airstrikes on Iran, prompting Tehran to renew attacks on US facilities in the Middle East. On July 24, the two sides announced a halt to their strikes.

Washington's allies in the Persian Gulf are increasingly frustrated with the current state of the US-Iran conflict, as intensified hostilities threaten their national security and economies, according to a Bloomberg report cited by TASS. Despite widespread dissatisfaction with current US policy toward Iran, opinions regarding Washington's next moves differ radically, the report says. Some Middle Eastern countries believe US President Donald Trump should escalate the situation and order a ground operation, potentially including the seizure of Kharg Island. Other countries, including Qatar, disagree and insist on immediate de-escalation.

The UAE wants European countries to play a more active role in ensuring the passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz and to undertake a mission to clear mines from the waterway, according to the same report. Representatives from Riyadh discussed the issue with their European counterparts last week, the report says.

Kamrava told TASS that the United States has "consistently proven itself to be an unreliable security partner" for the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf, prompting them to diversify their defense partnerships. He said that "America's national security concerns, not the security concerns of the Persian Gulf states, are its primary concerns."

Kamrava expects the Gulf nations to make three changes to their security architecture: complement the American security umbrella with additional security partnerships with states like Turkey, Pakistan, and South Korea; further develop their own security and military industries, as the UAE is doing with South Korea; and deepen their partnership with the US, as the Saudis and Emiratis are doing.

Looking ahead, Kamrava predicted that the Persian Gulf monarchies are likely to resume dialogue with Iran and gradually restore ties once the acute phase of the conflict is over. He noted that "in the past, the Gulf Cooperation Council states have proven to be quite pragmatic and non-ideological." He also did not rule out that Iran and Oman could "come to some sort of mutual understanding over the Strait of Hormuz whereby they would jointly exercise administrative control over the strait."

On the conflict's outlook, Kamrava pointed to differences in the strategies pursued by Tehran and Washington. "The US is keen to avoid another 'forever war' whereas Iran plays the long game," he said. "We will have to wait and see which one of these scenarios will characterize the next few years."