Gulf states tell US ending the war is not enoughA photo dated Sept 12, 2024 shows Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones on display at a military parade in Tehran, Iran. But the big question confronting Gulf policymakers is no longer how the Iran war ends, but what kind of regional order follows, the four Gulf sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The Gulf states say that possibility must now be removed if the region is to be stable. But UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said Iran's attacks on Gulf states had had "profound geopolitical repercussions", cementing Tehran as the central threat shaping Gulf strategic thinking. - Security guarantees -Abdulaziz Sager, chairman of the Saudi-based Gulf Research Centre, said the Gulf states' message to Washington was no longer implicit but explicit -- that any agreement with Iran must directly address and guarantee the security of the Gulf states."

Source: Bangkok Post March 31, 2026 06:38 UTC