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Iran’s Strikes on the Gulf States
In late 2025 and at the beginning of this year, the Gulf position toward the escalating tensions between the United States and Iran was defined by a refusal to allow the use of Gulf airspace or territory for any military action against Iran. This stance was paired with active diplomatic efforts and direct and indirect…
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Unprecedented Military Escalation Since 1991: Iranian Missiles Hits Most Gulf States
In an unprecedented development not seen since Operation Desert Storm in 1991, Gulf states now find themselves at the center of a direct missile confrontation whose geographic scope and intensity exceed even the experience of some of these countries with the Iraqi Scud missiles launched by Saddam Hussein during his forced expulsion from Kuwait. Following…
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The Gulf Sky and Iranian Missiles
Due to geographical proximity, Gulf states are not far removed from the risk of being affected by shrapnel from any military developments involving Iran. While these countries have moved quickly to distance themselves from any potential U.S. military strike on Iran—and have publicly declared their refusal to allow attacks on Iran to be launched from…
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GCC Defense Pact Faces a Real Test
Any external attack on a member state is considered an attack on all, requiring collective action. This is the principle enshrined in the Joint Defense Agreement signed by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states in 2000. But a quarter of a century later, experts who spoke to Alhurra are reassessing the agreement to answer a…
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Iraqi Maps Infuriate Gulf Governments
Border disputes between Iraq and Kuwait resurfaced this week after the Iraqi government announced that it had deposited maps of its maritime boundaries with the United Nations, a move that angered Kuwait, the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, and several other Arab countries. Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the step was…
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On the Edge of Hormuz: Gulf States Face a Difficult Test
In 2024, roughly 20 million barrels of oil per day passed through the Strait of Hormuz – about one-fifth of global consumption. Around one-fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas trade also transits the strait. All Gulf states, along with Iraq and Iran to varying degrees, rely on this passage to export their oil products…
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A Potential “War with Iran” and Limits on Washington’s Defense of the Gulf States
In the Gulf, an unprecedented U.S. military buildup is being met by Iranian threats to strike any military base from which attacks against Iran might be launched. Caught between the two are the Gulf states, striving to safeguard their security. One of the first “preventive steps” they have taken was to announce that they will…
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Kuwait in the FATF “Cage”
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has placed Kuwait on its list of states under increased monitoring, commonly known as the “grey list.” This designation indicates the presence of potential strategic deficiencies in the country’s system for combating money laundering and terrorist financing, subjecting Kuwait to heightened international scrutiny under a time-bound action plan aimed…
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Oman Vision 2040 in the Balance of Gulf Economies
As the curtain fell on Oman’s Tenth Five-Year Plan at the end of 2025, the Sultanate appeared to be closing a transitional phase rather than merely concluding a routine planning cycle. Launched in 2021 as the first executive instrument of Oman Vision 2040, the plan was designed to translate strategic objectives into measurable projects, against…
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Possible War Between the United States and Iran… Will the Gulf Be Spared?
Amid escalating exchanges between Tehran and Washington, a fundamental question has resurfaced: Are Gulf states truly prepared for a potential confrontation if warnings turn into a direct clash? In Tehran, officials are attempting to strike a balance between preparing for military confrontation and threatening to expand its scope. Iranian Chief of Staff Major General Abdulrahim…