Iran War Pushes Gulf States to Rethink Strategy

By Staff, Agencies

The US-"Israeli" war on Iran has prompted Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] states to reassess their regional strategies, underscoring growing doubts over American security guarantees and highlighting Tehran’s expanding deterrence influence across the region.

Despite sustaining an aggressive bombing campaign, Iran managed to maintain pressure throughout the war, disrupting global energy markets by tightening control over the Strait of Hormuz and launching missile and drone attacks on strategic sites across the Gulf.

For Gulf states, the war revealed a difficult reality: decades of reliance on US military protection and billions spent on Western defense systems failed to shield critical infrastructure from retaliation.

Regional governments increasingly view Iran’s ability to survive the war as a demonstration of strategic resilience rather than defeat.

At the same time, Tehran’s regional allies, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Ansar Allah in Yemen, maintained operations on multiple fronts, while Iranian support in Iraq remained largely intact.

These developments are expected to push Gulf states toward a more pragmatic approach centered on diplomacy and de-escalation with Tehran rather than direct confrontation.

The Chinese-brokered Saudi-Iranian rapprochement reached in 2023 now appears more important than ever as Gulf capitals seek mechanisms to prevent broader regional instability.

The war also deepened Gulf skepticism toward Washington after several GCC states were on the receiving end of retaliatory strikes on US bases.

Although Gulf governments are expected to maintain military cooperation with the United States, they are also likely to pursue more independent foreign policies and diversify partnerships with China and Russia.

At the same time, ongoing "Israeli" aggression on Gaza and Lebanon has further complicated normalization efforts between Gulf states and “Israel”, particularly amid growing public opposition across the Arab world.

For Gulf governments, the war reinforced a central lesson: Iran remains a geopolitical reality, while dependence on external powers alone can no longer guarantee regional security.