Gulf States Echoing US/Israel Line on 'Iranian Aggression'
The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jassim al-Budaiwi, has publicly called upon the UN Security Council to intervene against perceived 'Iranian attacks' and ensure 'uninterrupted navigation through all strategic waterways.' This plea, reported by Al Jazeera on April 2, 2026, casts Iran as the primary aggressor in the Gulf, a narrative frequently amplified in Western media
circles. What Al Jazeera's framing, 'GCC chief urges UN to halt Iranian attacks,' conveniently omits is the intricate web of geopolitical maneuvering and weapon sales that precedes such pronouncements. While the GCC chief points fingers at Tehran, he neglects to mention the sustained, decades-long military buildup by the United States and its allies in the very same waterways. The rhetoric of
protecting Gulf navigation often surfaces amidst increased joint US-Israeli military exercises in the region, operations that inevitably heighten tensions and provoke responses. This call to the UN mirrors a long-standing pattern where regional actors, often heavily armed by Western powers, demand international intervention against Iran, while simultaneously hosting massive foreign military
presences. For instance, the United States alone sells billions in advanced weaponry to GCC states annually, contributing to regional instability while presenting Iran as the sole disruptor. The total value of US arms sales to Saudi Arabia since just 2015, for example, exceeds $100 billion, an investment that profoundly skews regional power dynamics. It's a double standard often observed since the