The Iranian attack on the GCC countries was anticipated. Even before the start of the war, Iran had announced that if the United States attacked Iran, it would attack the United States’ military bases in the region.[1] For Iran, the US military installations in the GCC countries are genuine threats to its security. There is a significant difference in perceptions of Iran and the GCC countries in this regard. While Iran believes that it is legitimate for it to target the American military bases in the Gulf, as they cannot hit the US directly, the GCC countries believe that the Iranian attack on their territory is a violation of their sovereignty.[2]

As the US started moving its military assets towards the Gulf, the GCC states reiterated that they will not allow their territories to be used for launching attacks against Iran. In fact, Oman played a crucial role in mediating the three rounds of indirect US–Iran talks held in Muscat and Geneva in February 2026. But all these declarations of neutrality and mediation efforts did not spare them from the Iranian attacks. The GCC countries, which appealed for dialogue and negotiation between the US and Iran to resolve their differences, are taken aback by the scale and intensity of the Iranian attack and the damage it has inflicted on them.

GCC’s Strategic Predicament

The GCC countries find themselves in the middle of an unprecedented quagmire. Any retaliation against Iranian attacks could be interpreted as aligning with the US and Israel against another friendly neighbouring Islamic country. The GCC countries’ military response to Iran would undermine their position of neutrality, which they have maintained in their policy towards the war. This might also generate a negative, unfavourable domestic........

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