Gulf States

Iran war means larger Israeli influence among Arab states, top defense sources say

Future wars with Iran are likely to be longer in duration, while Israel's defense sales record breaks its record again, reaching USD 19 billion.

(From L-R) The Defense Ministry's International Defense Cooperation Directorate (SIBAT) Chief Brig.-Gen. Yair Kulas, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and Defense Ministry Director-General Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amir Baram.
Smoke rises following a strike on the Bapco Oil Refinery, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, on Sitra Island Bahrain, March 9, 2026.

Iranian attacks awaken Bahrain’s demons - opinion

US President Donald Trump gestures at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, US, March 11, 2026.

Beyond embassies: Israel can deepen regional cooperation without recognition - opinion

 South African flag.

South Africa courts Gulf money while its Iran ties unsettle investors - feature


Trump's refusal to return to war with Iran will 'cost him dearly', Saudi expert claims

Saudi analyst Mubarak al-Ati said that the US's decline on the international stage has prevented Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States from taking Trump's demands to join the Abraham Accords seriously.

US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman look at portraits at the "Presidential Walk of Fame" in the Colonnade at the White House in Washington, DC, November 18, 2025.

Trump heads to situation room to 'make final Iran decision,' as Netanyahu says IDF crossed Litani

Bessent: US has seized $1 billion in Iranian crypto assets • Iran's Ghalibaf says Tehran has no trust in words, will judge by actions • EU adopts further sanctions against Hamas and PIJ

US President Donald Trump delivers remarks in the Memorial Amphitheater during a Memorial Day event at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, May 25, 2026.

Could Trump’s push for Abraham Accords undermine long-term peace? - analysis

Trump is increasing pressure on Gulf countries to join the Abraham Accords, but experts warn that forcing states like Saudi Arabia and Qatar could backfire.

US President Donald Trump raises a fist as he departs after delivering a speech about the economy at Rockland Community College Fieldhouse in Suffern, New York, on May 22, 2026.

US-Oman ties tested after Trump’s warning on Gulf waters - analysis

US President Trump threatened Oman over the Strait of Hormuz, putting a longtime Gulf partner on edge and raising regional concerns over diplomacy and stability.

US President Donald Trump speaks next to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room at the White House, in Washington, DC, US, May 27, 2026.

'Premature and disconnected': Gulf states see Trump Abraham Accords demand as empty bargaining chip

The US president made the first public demand for normalization on Sunday, which was outright rejected by mediator Islamabad.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receives The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani ahead of an exceptional meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the first in-person meeting of Gulf leaders since their states became a front in the Iran war, in Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2026.

Reported strikes against US ships in Strait of Hormuz, US, Iran deal waits for leaders' approval

IDF kills two 'central Hamas terrorists' in Gaza Strip • Two soldiers reportedly wounded in Lebanon • US sanctions Persian Gulf Strait Authority

 Smoke billows over Beirut's southern suburbs, following an Israeli strike after issuing an evacuation warning for the area, as seen from Baabda, Lebanon, April 27, 2025.

IDF kills two 'central Hamas terrorists' in Gaza Strip, two soldiers reportedly wounded in Lebanon

US denies Iran's claim that deal would reopen Hormuz • Trump says no sanctions relief for Tehran • Israel assassinates fourth Hamas military chief

Israeli security forces at the scene where a house was hit by an explosive drone launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon in Metula near the Israeli-Lebanese border, May 25, 2026.

Even with Gulf on edge, negotiations stalling, experts say peace with Israel 'possible' - analysis

Faisal J. Abbas, the Editor-in-Chief of Arab News, noted that peace is possible with Israel but that the country “needs to embrace a two-state solution.”

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, United Arab Emirates (UAE) Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed and Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani standby prior to signing the Abraham Accords with US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, US, September 15, 2020.

Rockets fired from Lebanon as IDF begins ground ops. beyond Yellow Line

Netanyahu calls US President Trump • Board of Peace blames breakdown of ceasefire in Gaza on Hamas’s refusal to disarm • Israeli official tells 'Post' Khamenei 'difficult to reach'

Israeli soldiers are seen inside southern Lebanon as seen from the Israeli side of the border, May 26, 2026.

From the Abraham Accords to the Abraham Alliance - opinion

History will not remember the diplomats who managed decline. It will remember the leaders who built the future.

(L-R)Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump, Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani, and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan wave from the Truman Balcony at the White House after they participated in the Abraham Accords signing, Septermber 15, 2020.