Gulf States

Voices from the Arab press: Reading the Jeddah statement

A weekly selection of opinions and analyses from the Arab media around the world.

SAUDI CROWN PRINCE Mohammed bin Salman (R) receives Bahrain’s King Sheikh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa ahead of an exceptional meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council – the first in-person meeting of Gulf leaders since their states became a front in the Iran war two months ago – in Jeddah, April 28.
Surface-to-air missile launcher of the Patriot (Wisla) system newly integrated into the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) stands at an army base in Sochaczew, Poland, December 18, 2024.

US Secretary of State approves $25.8 billion in weapons sales to Middle East allies - report

An Emirati F-16E fighter jet; illustrative.

UAE tried to coordinate with Saudi Arabia, Qatar to strike Iran during recent war - report

Iran and Iraq map. Ilustration.

Role of Gulf states in Iran conflict said to change over one week - analysis


Iranian drone attack sparks fire at Shuwaikh Oil Complex in Kuwait

The drone attack caused a fire at the Shuwaikh Oil Sector Complex, but no injuries were reported.

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation headquarters, illustrative.

Bahrain takes aim at Iran at UN, warns Hormuz threat endangers global economy

Addressing the council, Al Zayani praised international efforts to maintain stability but pointed to what he described as escalating Iranian aggression.

Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani addresses the 80th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 26, 2025.

IRGC claims to have attacked Dubai Oracle data center, US fighter jets at Jordan's Al Azraq base

Additional attacks on Thursday included attacks on a US diplomatic facility near Baghdad Airport and an Amazon cloud computing center in Bahrain.

Smoke rises in the sky after blasts were heard in Manama, Bahrain, February 28, 2026.

Gulf states consider bypassing Strait of Hormuz with new oil pipelines via Haifa - FT

The Financial Times reported that the Gulf states aim to create a new network of pipelines, roads, and railways to stop relying on the Strait of Hormuz.

3D-printed oil barrels, an oil pump jack and a map showing the Strait of Hormuz and Iran appear in this illustration taken March 2, 2026.

Between Kyiv and Riyadh: The Middle East and Ukraine on the same front - opinion

We are witnessing an accelerated process of building new alliances, based not only on geography but on common interests.

A Ukrainian soldier takes part in a final tactical exercise on the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, held at a British Army training camp in East Anglia, Britain, February 24, 2026.

UAE denies WSJ report that it is preparing to help US, allies open Strait of Hormuz by force

The nation had already conducted an internal assessment of its capabilities to help secure the strait, including its ability to clear mines, officials told the Wall Street Journal.

Birds fly near the Jag Vasant vessel transferring LPG at a port after transiting the Strait of Hormuz amid supply disruptions linked to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Mumbai, India, April 1, 2026.

Drone attack sparks fire at Kuwaiti Airport, tanker off Qatar hit as Iran strikes Gulf states

Iran also launched attacks against Qatar and Bahrain in its latest attacks against the Gulf States.

Planes of Kuwait Airways and Qatar Airways are seen through the window of a Middle East Airlines aircraft at Cairo International Airport, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Cairo, Egypt, March 31, 2026.

Jordan seeks calm as Iran war rattles the region - analysis

Jordan had said it “strongly condemned today the Iranian attack on its territory involving ballistic missiles" when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran.

An Iranian missile has fallen on a home on February 28, 2026 in Amman, Jordan.

Gulf States pressure Trump to continue war with Iran until fall of Islamic regime - report

The Gulf States, according to Israeli and Gulf officials, believe that Iran hasn't been weakened enough yet for the regime to stop being a regional threat.

 A view of Burj Khalifa, after an Iranian attack, following United States and Israel strikes on Iran, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 1, 2026

Netanyahu: 'Only long-term solution for Hormuz crisis is rerouting pipes to Mediterranean'

"Long-term solutions include rerouting energy pipelines westward, across Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea and Mediterranean, bypassing Iran's geographic choke point," Netanyahu told Newsmax.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visit at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, February 26, 2026.