The Jerusalem Post | Herb Keinon
The Iran war is driving a significant divergence in strategic alignments among Gulf states, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) deepening its strategic partnership with Israel while Saudi Arabia seeks alternative security alliances. The UAE's relationship with Israel has evolved beyond the 2020 Abraham Accords into extensive security coordination, intelligence sharing, and air defense cooperation, including the deployment of an Iron Dome battery and personnel during the recent conflict. This partnership is fueled by shared threat perceptions of Iran and a perceived lack of Arab solidarity, with Israel's counter-drone lasers and Iron Dome system intercepting over 95% of Iranian projectiles targeting the UAE. Conversely, Saudi Arabia, while welcoming a weakened Iran, is wary of Israel emerging as the dominant Middle East power. Riyadh is strengthening ties with Pakistan and Turkey, evidenced by a trilateral defense agreement in January and Pakistan's deployment of 8,000 troops, fighter jets, drone units, and a Chinese-operated air defense system to Saudi Arabia. This divergence exposes a new strategic fault line in the postwar Middle East, with the UAE prioritizing direct security cooperation with Israel and Saudi Arabia hedging to maintain a regional balance without empowering Jerusalem.
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