Steven A. Cook
Throughout four weeks of war, Iran has continued to make the United States’ Gulf partners pay a price for Operation Epic Fury and Israel’s Operation Roaring Lion. The Iranians have fired thousands of missiles and dronesat their neighbors, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) bearing the brunt of the assault. There is also significant damage to energy infrastructure in Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
From the first days of the conflict, part of the Islamic Republic’s strategy was immediately clear: inflict significant pain on Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia so that they would in turn pressure the United States (and by extension, Israel) to end the hostilities. It was a miscalculation. Gulf leaders did not want the war and have privately expressed frustration with the United States and Israel for causing chaos in the region, but they have not pressured President Donald Trump to stop the U.S. attacks. Instead, Saudis, Emiratis, Qataris, and others have closed ranks with each other, signaled that they have a considerable stake in the war’s outcome, and counseled the Trump administration not to end military operations prematurely.
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