Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Jordan—six Arab bloc countries—sharply condemned a string of attacks in the Middle East led by Iran and pro-Iran armed groups and formalized a pledge to launch a full-scale military response. As Iran, in response to U.S.- and Israel-led airstrikes, broadened the front by indiscriminately striking key infrastructure in neighboring countries, those neighbors invoked self-defense and moved to build a joint defensive front.
Synthesizing reports from Reuters and other major outlets on the 25th, six Arab countries including Saudi Arabia and the UAE issued a joint statement the previous day, raising their criticism of Iran. In the statement, they strongly noted that "the overt missile and drone attacks carried out by Iran and its proxies are a direct violation of territorial sovereignty and international law." In particular, they highlighted Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, which specifies the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense in the event of an armed attack. This is a strong warning to Iran that asserts the legitimacy to take all necessary measures, including military action, directly to protect their territory, people, security, and stability.
The Arab states specifically identified pro-Iran armed factions operating covertly inside Iraqi territory as the primary launch points threatening regional security. They repeatedly pressed the Iraqi government to take firm and effective measures to immediately halt the militia's military provocations of indiscriminately firing projectiles at neighboring countries from within its territory.
They also strongly urged immediate compliance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 2817, which clearly stipulates that Iran must unconditionally cease all regional attacks and threats carried out through its proxies. The remarks signal an intent not to overlook deadly destabilizing acts plotted by sleeper cells and Hezbollah-linked terrorist groups operating across the Middle East. The countries expressed deep trust and gratitude for their own militaries and intelligence agencies that preemptively uncover terrorist conspiracies and safeguard national security.
Now cornered, Iran has pulled out a horizontal escalation strategy, vowing to restore deterrence by striking major facilities in neighboring Gulf states. In particular, Saudi Arabia and the UAE—where key capital is concentrated and where major financial institutions have Middle East branches—are gripped by a sense of crisis that they could become targets of Iranian retaliation for hosting U.S. bases or maintaining ties with Israel.
Experts say Iran's rash choice of a multi-front escalation strategy has backfired, solidifying previously watchful Arab states. In a deep-dive report on Middle East dynamics published on the 16th, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) assessed that "Iran's broad horizontal escalation spanning hundreds of miles is unprecedented in Middle Eastern history," and "clearly reveals the Tehran regime's core strategy to ignite a massive, regionwide conflict and stoke uncontrollable fear." They noted that Iran's brinkmanship—trying to break through a military crisis by holding well-intentioned neighbors hostage—is fueling anti-Iran sentiment and a fierce military backlash across the region.