THE NEW YORK TIMES: The energy-rich nations that sought to avert the American-Israeli war on Iran have been sucked into the spiraling conflict.
For years, the Persian Gulf countries had worried about the prospect of an out-of-control war with Iran, which would bring missiles and drones to their gleaming cities, trapping tourists and sending foreign executives fleeing.
The fear of conflict is one reason they have cultivated such close ties with the United States. They have built American military bases and spent tens of billions of dollars on American weapons.
They had hoped to buy protection from Iran and its regional proxies.
But the United States and Israel have launched a massive assault that has rapidly spiraled into a nightmare scenario for Gulf leaders. In retaliation, Iran has fired more than a thousand missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. The strikes have killed at least seven people in those countries, according to official reports tallied by The New York Times.
Their governments are now facing uncomfortable questions about whether their stockpile of missile interceptors and strategic food reserves can last through the war. » | Vivian Nereim | Reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Tuesday, March 3, 2026
