Iran’s targeting of airport, ports and hotels in reaction to US strikes has forced Gulf nations onto front lines of a war they want no part in

Qatar, the UAE and other Gulf nations have spent years cultivating an image of being an oasis of stability in the Mideast. The current war risks undoing all that work.

By: Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Rice University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 3, 2026

Words: 1,375

Last Updated: 1 week, 1 day ago

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By Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Rice University

Washington’s allies in the Persian Gulf have found themselves in a position they have long sought to avoid: on the front line and bearing the brunt of a widening Middle East conflict.

Having been dragged into a war of choice by the U.S. – one which many around the world are calling a war of aggression – all six Gulf Cooperation Council nations have …

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