A source familiar with the decision cited by the news outlet said it is \u201conly a matter of time\u201d before Saudi Arabia enters the war, after its foreign minister said last week that its patience for Iranian attacks \u201cis not unlimited.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ahead of the war, Riyadh initially attempted to stay out of the impending conflict by refusing to allow its airspace to be used by US forces, though Iran launched missiles at the kingdom anyway.<\/p>\n
After Israel and the United States launched the war with an attack on Iran on February 28, Iran responded not only against its attackers but also against all six Gulf Cooperation Council countries \u2014 Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The repeated strikes have killed several people and disrupted oil and gas production as well as tourism, both of which are important economic lifelines for the region.<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n Iran has also imposed a de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world\u2019s oil and gas normally flows, sending crude oil prices soaring.<\/p>\n \t Now, despite initial opposition to the use of force, Gulf countries are pressing the US to continue striking the regime to ensure that Iran comes out of this war with its military power sufficiently degraded to cease posing a threat to them, four senior officials representing different Gulf capitals told The Times of Israel last week<\/a> on condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n The countries have not yet carried out any attacks themselves, as Gulf leaders remain deeply fearful of triggering a broader, uncontrollable conflagration.<\/p>\n While the Gulf countries share a common anger at Iran, they are also irate that they are unable to influence the Trump administration\u2019s policies despite their substantial investments in their relationships with Washington, Arab officials told the Journal on Tuesday.<\/p>\n The countries had mistakenly believed that they were successful in convincing the US to prevent attacks on Iranian energy sites, after an Israeli strike on fuel depots in Tehran, the Journal reported.<\/p>\n However, Israel last week carried out another strike on the South Pars gas field, and the Gulf countries faced attacks on their key energy facilities in retaliation.<\/p>\n US President Donald Trump insisted that he knew nothing in advance about the Israeli attack on Iran\u2019s South Pars gas field, while Israeli officials said the strike had been coordinated with the US. Netanyahu, for his part, said Israel \u201cacted alone.\u201d<\/p>\n \t Israel launched its campaign against Iran, alongside the US, to degrade the Iranian regime\u2019s military capabilities, distance threats posed by Iran \u2014 its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and its support for terror proxy groups in the region \u2014 and \u201ccreate the conditions\u201d for the Iranian people to topple the regime, the military and other Israeli leaders have said.<\/p>\n Jacob Magid and Reuters contributed to this report.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t You clearly find our careful reporting of the Iran war valuable, at a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.<\/p>\n Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically during this ongoing conflict.<\/p>\n So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing\u00a0exclusive content\u00a0available only to Times of Israel Community members.<\/p>\n Thank you, \t\t\t
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\n\t\tThis handout picture released by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) shows, (L-R) Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jassim al-Budaiwi, Kuwait\u2019s Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled al-Hamad al-Sabah, Qatar\u2019s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Oman\u2019s Deputy Prime Minister for Defense Affairs Shihab bin Tarik Al Said, Saudi Arabia\u2019s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Bahrain\u2019s King\u2019s Personal Representative Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and the UAE\u2019s Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, posing for a group picture during the 2025 Arab-Islamic emergency summit in Doha on September 15, 2025. (Saudi Press Agency \/ AFP)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26051271110154-e1771589601770-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tUS President Donald Trump (left) with Saudi Arabia\u2019s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on his visit to the White House, November 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein)<\/p>\n
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