The chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, receiving Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khaled bin Salman in Tehran, in April 2025. (Credit: AFP)
It was something the Gulf monarchies had feared would happen for months. The oil-rich countries now face real security risks following Israel's massive attack against Iran early Friday morning and Iran's warnings that it would target American bases in the region in retaliation, regardless of which country they're hosted by.Some of Iran's neighbors might see the escalation — still marked by many unknowns — as a welcome weakening of their adversary, but are still acting cautiously considering the serious consequences this confrontation could have on their stability. Saudi Arabia, like the United Arab Emirates, formally normalized relations with Iran in recent years, and both petro-monarchies hurried to condemn the Israeli operation in the hours after the attack.Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan called his Iranian counterpart, Abbas...
It was something the Gulf monarchies had feared would happen for months. The oil-rich countries now face real security risks following Israel's massive attack against Iran early Friday morning and Iran's warnings that it would target American bases in the region in retaliation, regardless of which country they're hosted by.Some of Iran's neighbors might see the escalation — still marked by many unknowns — as a welcome weakening of their adversary, but are still acting cautiously considering the serious consequences this confrontation could have on their stability. Saudi Arabia, like the United Arab Emirates, formally normalized relations with Iran in recent years, and both petro-monarchies hurried to condemn the Israeli operation in the hours after the attack.Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan called his Iranian counterpart,...