Western diplomats assess that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and likely Qatar are very close to joining the strikes against Iran, even if only in a limited or symbolic capacity. Earlier today, reports said Qatar had attacked Iran.
A spokesperson for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said in response that “Qatar was not part of the campaign directed against Iran. We are exercising our right to self-defense and deterring Iranian attacks against our country.”
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Satellite imagery showing the aftermath of Iranian attack on Aramco refinery
(Photo: AFP PHOTO / SATELLITE IMAGE ©2026 Vantor)
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Iranian missile and airstrikes on Gulf states — including attacks on ports, cities and oil facilities — could push the region’s Sunni Arab states into a broader coalition aligned with the United States, widening the war. Analysts said Tehran may have miscalculated by targeting the economic lifelines of six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, all U.S. allies that host American military bases.
The GCC — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman — held an emergency meeting and invoked Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, signaling readiness for collective self-defense. The bloc warned that continued Iranian strikes could turn the Gulf from a defensive shield into an “active theater of response,” and said joint air defense systems and reconnaissance flights had been activated.
First published: 18:22, 03.03.26