America’s Gulf Arab allies, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are pushing President Donald Trump to continue the war against Iran until a decisive outcome is reached.
According to US, Gulf, and Israeli officials speaking with The Associated Press, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain have argued that the US needs to continue to bomb Iran until there is a significant change in leadership or behavior. A Saudi official told the White House that ending the war now will not produce a “good deal.”
While the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait are all encouraging Trump to order a ground invasion of Iran, Qatar and Oman are telling US officials to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
President Trump has ordered thousands of soldiers and Marines to the Middle East. The buildup could be part of the preparations for a ground invasion of Iran.
On February 28, the US and Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran that ignited a region-wide war. Tehran responded to the initial attack by striking Israel and American military bases in the region. As the US and Israeli strikes have escalated to target civilian infrastructure in Iran, Tehran has responded by targeting similar facilities in Israel and in Gulf states aligned with the US.
Initially, President Donald Trump said the goal of the war was regime change in Tehran, even suggesting he could select the next Iranian leader. However, Iran has proven that it can absorb US attacks while continuing to fire missiles.
However, Washington appears to have backed away from those maximalist demands, and Trump says he is now willing to make a deal with Tehran that leaves the Islamic Republic in place.
Tehran says one of its demands for ending the conflict includes retaining sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. After the start of the war, Iran closed the exit to the Persian Gulf for all ships linked to the US or Israel. The Iranian Parliament is now considering legislation that would impose a toll on all ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi officials, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, told Trump that any end to the war must include stripping Iran of the ability to control the key waterway.
On Sunday, Trump lauded several Gulf states for assisting the US in the war against Iran. “Saudi Arabia’s fighting back hard. Qatar is fighting back. UAE is fighting back. Kuwait’s fighting back. Bahrain’s fighting back,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One. “They’re all fighting back.”
