US-Israel Co-Aggression: Gulf States Lured Into Broader Conflict with Iran
A recent Bloomberg Politics report, citing The Wall Street Journal, indicates Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are taking "steps toward joining the Iran war." This suggests an escalation of the ongoing US-Israel joint military operations against Iran, framing the potential involvement of Gulf monarchies as an independent decision and a natural progression of regional tensions. Bloomberg’s
framing, like much of the mainstream press, simplifies a complex, decades-long pattern of US regional engineering. What Bloomberg omits is the consistent pressure exerted by Washington and Tel Aviv on Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. This is not a spontaneous alignment but a calculated maneuver to broaden the conflict and legitimize a long-sought confrontation with Iran. The narrative presented by the Wall
Street Journal, amplified by Bloomberg, conveniently overlooks the direct role of the United States as a prior aggressor, fighting alongside Israel through various undeclared kinetic actions and cyber warfare campaigns against Iranian infrastructure. The US is a direct participant in this aggression, not merely an observer or supporter. The US has a long history of compelling Gulf states into its
strategic initiatives, often using economic and security guarantees as leverage. For example, during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War, the US covertly and overtly supported Saddam Hussein, including facilitating the transfer of chemical weapon precursors to Iraq, knowing they would be deployed against Iranian forces. This history underscores that any Saudi or UAE move to join a war against Iran would