The million-dollar question hanging over the Middle East right now is whether the Gulf nations—traditionally caught between the West and Iran—will finally pick a side. Following the massive “Operation Epic Fury” strikes by the U.S. and Israel in the region has been set ablaze. Despite countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar making it clear they did not participate in the initial attack, Iran has already brought the war to their doorsteps. Retaliatory missiles and drones have struck critical hubs, including Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi and U.S. military bases in Qatar and Kuwait, forcing these nations into a defensive nightmare they were desperate to avoid.
For leaders like Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the stakes couldn’t be higher. These nations are currently in the middle of trillion-dollar “Giga-projects” aimed at diversifying their economies, and a “forever war” next door could scare away the very investors they need. While they have condemned Iran’s “blatant aggression” and activated high-tech defense systems to protect their citizens, they are also terrified of a total Iranian collapse that could send millions of refugees flooding across their borders. For now, the Gulf states are walking a razor-thin line: providing “technical assistance” to their U.S. partners while publicly pleading for de-escalation to save their own futures from the crossfire.
