Saudi Arabia, UAE to join Iran war as ceasefire claims remain disputed
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Saudi Arabia, UAE to join Iran war as ceasefire claims remain disputed")
A smoke plume rises from an ongoing fire near Dubai International Airport in Dubai on March 16, 2026. Photograph: (AFP)
Saudi Arabia and the UAE signal deeper involvement in the Iran conflict as Trump claims a ceasefire, Iran denies it, and tensions rise in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Gulf Countries, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, were hosting a range of US operations while politically pretending to be neutral. As US President Donald Trump is claiming that a ceasefire has been agreed with the Iranian leadership and Iran is repeatedly denying the ceasefire, reports are suggesting that the Gulf monarchies are edging towards participating in the conflict.
According to reports from the Wall Street Journal, Saudi Arabia has opened up its King Fahad air base, a supposed shift from its position of not letting US forces use its airspace and infrastructure against Iran. The position was fractured following the US targeting of the energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has already expelled the Iranian military attaché and embassy staff on March 21, 2026. The WSJ reported that one source suggested that the Saudi prince Mohammed bin Salman is weighing military options to join the war. Simultaneously, the UAE has suggested that it has closed the Iranian institutions, such as the Iranian Hospital and the Iranian Club, and rendered the hospital's phone lines, WhatsApp channel, and website.
However IRGC have explicitly denied the claims and asserted that Saudi Arabian bases have been used for logistical support. It further suggested that Al-Kharj and Prince Sultan Air Base have been a key hub for “US aggressors' deployments and air operations.” There was video evidence verified by ‘Storyful’ of using some ground-based missiles from Bahrain towards Iran. Eventhough the US has not openly confirmed these reports and let the Gulf countries characterise their roles in the war. But there were suggestions at the beginning of the war that the US attack on Iran was pursued by both Saudi Arabia and Israel. While Israel's pursuit was overt, Saudi Arabia's pursuit was through a private diplomatic channel.
Iran wants to claim toll at Hormuz
The WSJ report further claims that the Gulf leaders, in private conversation with the US has urged to destroy Iranian military capacity before agreeing to any ceasefire. However, Iran remains firm and is emerging as a stronger force in the region. It has attacked ship transit while allowing some to pass. It now wants a role in the governing of the Strait of Hormuz, and proposed charging transit fees through the strait, similar to the Suez Canal toll system of Egypt. According to a US analyst, Gregory Gause, at the Middle East Institute in Washington, Gulf rulers are trapped in a situation where they want a military engagement with Iran but remains weary if Washington were to retreat, the Gulf security infrastructure will collapse.
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