One of the most dangerous ideas in today’s Middle East is the claim that Gulf states must choose between Iran and Israel. This framing is politically simple, but strategically misleading.

It assumes that Gulf security can be reduced to alignment with one regional actor against another. The Gulf’s central interest is neither to defend Iran nor to serve Israel’s regional agenda. Its real interest is to prevent the region from becoming a battlefield.

For Gulf states, escalation is a direct threat. Any confrontation involving Iran, Israel and the United States immediately affects Gulf airspace, shipping lanes, energy infrastructure, investment confidence and domestic stability.

The Gulf cannot observe from a distance; it automatically incurs costs from the conflict. Therefore, the real choice is not between Iran or Israel. It is between stability or permanent war.

Recent events have demonstrated that even if the Gulf does not initiate confrontation, it still becomes an arena of it. In June when Israel attacked Iran, the conflict spilled over. In September, an Israeli air strike targeted Doha. This was not a separate episode but a continuation of the same campaign.

This matters because Qatar has built much of its foreign policy around mediation, dialogue, de-escalation and the preservation of channels with other regional actors. Yet even this posture did not shield it from the consequences of confrontation.

The second conflict in 2026 widened the battlefield to the rest of the Gulf. This made it clear that the whole region is at risk........

© Al Jazeera