Pragmatic choice: Israel’s war backfires as Gulf backs US-Iran deal
Key takeaways
- A war meant to isolate Iran instead deepened Gulf pragmatism and strengthened support for diplomacy.
- Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Israel has attempted to isolate Iran and its wide network of regional proxy groups.
- When Israel and the US launched strikes on Iran on February 28 – and Tehran responded by attacking Gulf states – they were again forced to reassess their relationship with their neighbour.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
A war meant to isolate Iran instead deepened Gulf pragmatism and strengthened support for diplomacy.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo The Gulf's closeness to Iran is less a sign of reconciliation and more a reflection of hard-headed pragmatism [File: AFP]By Urooba Jamal Published On 25 Jun 202625 Jun 2026Doha, Qatar – Gulf states have welcomed a breakthrough agreement between the United States and Iran to end a war they never wanted.
Six countries – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman – form the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which was created in 1981 following fears of the perceived expansionist ambitions of the new Iranian government.