Arab Allies Urge US to Intensify War in Iran, Sources Say

U.S., Gulf, and Israeli officials reveal that Arab allies, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are urging the Trump administration not to lessen military pressure on Iran. They argue that the current actions have not sufficiently weakened Tehran and see a historic opportunity to cripple the Iranian clerical government. The pressure comes as Trump wavers between claiming that Iran is ready to negotiate and threatening to escalate the war if a deal is not reached soon.

Officials from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain have conveyed in private conversations their desire for military operations to continue until there are significant changes in the Iranian leadership or a dramatic shift in its behavior.

Trump faces the task of maintaining public support for a war that has caused over 3,000 deaths in the Middle East and affected the global economy. Although the president shows confidence in the support of his allies, divisions exist among them. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates lead the call to increase military pressure on Tehran, with the United Arab Emirates advocating for a ground invasion. Kuwait and Bahrain also favor this option. On the other hand, Oman and Qatar, historically intermediaries between Iran and the West, prefer a diplomatic solution.

Saudi diplomacy argues that a cessation of hostilities now would not produce an agreement that guarantees the security of Iran's Arab neighbors. The Saudis demand that any future agreement neutralize the Iranian nuclear program, destroy its ballistic missile capabilities, and end Tehran's support for proxy groups.

Officials from the United Arab Emirates have intensified their rhetoric against Iran, as demonstrated by Minister of State Noura Al Kaabi, who wrote in an article published in The National newspaper: 'We want a guarantee that this will never happen again.' Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the United States and its Gulf Arab allies are in sync regarding Iran, describing the Iranians as 'religious zealots' who must not possess nuclear weapons.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has expressed to White House officials that further weakening Iran's military capabilities and clerical leadership benefits the Gulf region and beyond. However, Saudi Arabia is aware of the possibility of Iranian attacks on its energy infrastructure, vital to its economy.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Iranian attacks are only directed at U.S. forces, despite some having impacted civilian targets. Trump has publicly praised the Gulf countries for their support. The president praised Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates for their 'bravery' during the war. Trump also alluded to the initial hesitation of the Gulf countries before aligning with the United States.

The participation of Gulf allies in offensive operations is uncertain. The administration might have calculated that it is not worth the complexity of adding more military forces to the conflict. An additional factor is that only the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, which complicates their stance.

Yasmine Farouk, project director for the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula at the International Crisis Group, notes that the lack of a clear objective and distrust that the United States will really 'finish the job' make some allies reluctant to fully participate. Iran has warned that it will attack its neighbors' critical infrastructure, including desalination plants, if the United States attacks Iranian power plants.

Before the war, approximately 20% of the world's oil flowed through the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict has caused significant casualties, including the deaths of six American service members in a refueling accident and the accidental downing of three American fighter jets by friendly Kuwaiti fire.