Gulf Allies Voice Frustration Over U.S. Handling of Iran Conflict, Citing Lack of Warning and Support

CAIRO (AP) — A rift is emerging between the Trump administration and its Persian Gulf allies, who are voicing sharp discontent over what they describe as a lack of prior consultation and robust military support as their nations bear the brunt of Iranian retaliatory strikes.

Officials from two Gulf states, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, told The Associated Press their governments were blindsided by the initial U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran last Saturday. They complained of receiving no advance notice, leaving them scrambling to activate air defenses against waves of Iranian drones and ballistic missiles.

"There is a palpable sense of frustration, even anger, that the operational focus seems solely on defending Israel and U.S. troops, while we are left to fend for ourselves," one official said, noting his country's stock of interceptor missiles was "rapidly depleting." The officials also claimed their repeated warnings about the war's devastating regional consequences were ignored in Washington.

The muted official statements from Gulf capitals contrast with pointed criticism from figures close to power. Prince Turki al-Faisal, former Saudi intelligence chief, told CNN the conflict was "Netanyahu's war," arguing the Israeli prime minister had "convinced President Trump to support his views."

The Pentagon, struggling to counter low-cost drone swarms, conceded in closed-door briefings to lawmakers that many Iranian UAVs, particularly Shahed-type drones, are getting through. This vulnerability was starkly illustrated by a drone strike in Kuwait that killed six U.S. soldiers in a lightly defended operations center.

According to an AP tally, Iran has launched over 1,480 drones and 380 missiles primarily at Gulf states since hostilities began, killing at least 13 civilians and disrupting global oil flows. The U.S. has even sought counter-drone expertise from Ukraine, a move President Trump acknowledged.

Analysts suggest Washington underestimated the threat to Gulf partners. "I don't think they saw that there would be as much exposure to the Gulf," said Bader Mousa Al-Saif of Chatham House, calling the lack of a dedicated protection plan "short-sighted."

The tension is compounded by Gulf states' reluctance to launch counterstrikes on Iran and U.S. perplexity at their hesitation. Former officials warn the attacks risk forging lasting enmity. "If they keep up, the Gulf Arabs may start attacking Iran," said Elliott Abrams, former U.S. special representative for Iran.

As the conflict escalates without a clear endpoint, Gulf nations are left weighing the desire for a weakened Iran against the immediate costs of war on their doorstep. "The countries of the Gulf will have to bear the brunt of whatever that is," said former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney.

Reaction & Analysis

Markus Schmidt, Security Analyst, Berlin: "This highlights a chronic alliance management failure. The Gulf states are treated as strategic real estate, not equal partners. Their air defenses were never integrated to the level of Israel's, creating a predictable vulnerability."

Layla Al-Hamad, Commentator, Dubai: "It's betrayal, plain and simple. We host U.S. bases, buy American weapons, and align our policies, only to be left exposed as a buffer zone. This will force a fundamental rethink of our security dependencies."

General (Ret.) James Powell, Former CENTCOM Adviser: "The drone threat was a known gap. The surprise isn't Iran's tactics, but the apparent lack of contingency planning with allies who were always going to be secondary targets. This erodes trust at a critical time."

Professor Anya Petrova, Middle East Studies, University of London: "The U.S. is caught between its guarantee to Israel and its partnerships with Arab states. This episode reveals that when forced to choose, the Gulf's security becomes negotiable, a perception that will drive regional hedging."