Gulf Allies Express Fury Over US Handling of Iran Conflict
The Trump administration is facing escalating discontent from its Persian Gulf allies, who claim they received insufficient warning about a barrage of Iranian drones and missiles that targeted their territories. These attacks were reportedly retaliation for strikes launched by the United States and Israel.
Inadequate Warning and Defense
Officials from two Gulf nations have expressed profound disappointment with Washington's management of the conflict, particularly regarding the initial assault on Iran last Saturday. They asserted their governments received no prior notification of the US-Israeli attack and that their earlier warnings about the war's potentially devastating regional consequences were ignored.
One official conveyed deep frustration and anger among Gulf countries regarding what they perceive as inadequate defense from US military forces. There is a widespread belief in the region that operations have primarily focused on protecting Israel and American troops, leaving Gulf nations to defend themselves. The official added that his country's stock of interceptors was "rapidly depleting."
These Gulf officials spoke anonymously due to the confidential nature of diplomatic discussions. Requests for comment from the governments of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain went unanswered.
Official Reactions and Criticism
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly responded: “Iran’s retaliatory ballistic missile attacks have decreased by 90% because Operation Epic Fury is crushing their ability to shoot these weapons or produce more. President Trump is in close contact with all of our regional partners, and the terrorist Iranian regime’s attacks on its neighbors prove how imperative it was that President Trump eliminate this threat to our country and our allies.” The Pentagon did not respond to inquiries.
While official reactions by Gulf Arab countries have been muted, public figures with close government ties have been openly critical of the United States. Some suggest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dragged President Donald Trump into an unnecessary war.
“This is Netanyahu’s war,” Prince Turki al-Faisal, the former Saudi intelligence chief, told CNN on Wednesday. “He somehow convinced the president (Trump) to support his views.”
Military Challenges and Casualties
Pentagon officials conceded this week in closed-door briefings with lawmakers that they are struggling to stop waves of drones launched by Iran, leaving some US targets in the Gulf region vulnerable. The Gulf countries have become valuable targets for Iran, well within range of Iran’s short-range missiles and filled with targets including American troops, high-profile business and tourist locations, and energy facilities.
Since the war began, Iran has fired at least 380 missiles and over 1,480 drones targeting five Arab Gulf countries, according to an AP tally based on official statements. At least 13 people have been killed in those countries, according to local officials. Additionally, six US soldiers were killed in Kuwait on Sunday when an Iranian drone strike hit an operations center in a civilian port.
The husband of one slain soldier, who was part of a supply and logistics unit based in Iowa, said the operations center was a shipping container-style building with no defenses.
Defense Briefings and Regional Concerns
In briefings for Congress on Tuesday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told lawmakers the US will not be able to intercept many incoming UAVs, especially Shahed drones. According to three people familiar with the briefings, Caine and Hegseth offered no details when pressed about why the US seemed unprepared for Iran's drone waves.
One US official familiar with security posture in the Gulf region said the US lacked widespread capabilities to effectively counter waves of one-way drones targeting locations outside conventional bases in Iraq and Syria.
Drone attacks this week caused limited fires at the US embassy in Riyadh and outside the US consulate in Dubai. The US and its Middle East allies even sought help from Ukraine, which has expertise in countering Iran’s Shahed drones. When asked about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's comments, Trump told Reuters: “Certainly, I’ll take, you know, any assistance from any country.”
Analyst Perspectives and Future Implications
Bader Mousa Al-Saif, a Kuwait-based analyst with Chatham House, said the US appeared to have underestimated risks to Gulf Arab allies, believing American troops and Israel would be primary targets. “I don’t think they saw that there would be as much exposure to the Gulf,” he said, calling the lack of protection plans "US short-sightedness."
Frustration in Gulf nations is partly driven by Israel's relative success in intercepting drones and missiles compared to its neighbors. According to a person familiar with diplomatic matters, US officials have been perplexed that Gulf countries show no appetite for launching counteroffensive missiles at Iranian targets.
Elliott Abrams, former special representative for Iran and Venezuela, said US officials and Gulf allies knew Iran had strike capabilities. “And the neighbors knew it and were afraid of it. But it was never clear that Iran would actually do it, because they have a lot to lose,” Abrams said. “These attacks will leave long-term enmity, and if they keep up, the Gulf Arabs may start attacking Iran.”
Michael Ratney, former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, noted Gulf countries want Iran weakened but have concerns about economic damage, instability, and the war's open-ended nature. “What comes next? The countries of the Gulf will have to bear the brunt of whatever that is.”
