Gulf allies believe Israel is out of control after ‘reckless' war
Israel's attack on Iran risks triggering a lasting rupture with its Middle Eastern allies, Gulf Arab officials have warned.
Once seen as the region's chief guarantor against the Iranian nuclear threat, Israel is now increasingly viewed as its most destabilising force after entering conflict with Tehran, which one Arab diplomat characterised as 'unforgivably reckless'.
Although some officials admitted that they hoped Israel had succeeded in destroying Iran's nuclear facilities, representatives of three Gulf states have expressed alarm about its growing military dominance and Benjamin Netanyahu's willingness to wield it.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, one official said: 'He appears to be beyond restraint – in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and now Iran.
'Unchecked, uncontrollable power is no longer an asset for us. It is a problem.'
Growing concern about Israel's 'destabilising' role threatens the legacy of the Abraham Accords, the series of agreements under which the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan normalised relations with Israel.
Hailed as a landmark moment for Israel's integration into the Arab world after decades of hostility, the accords were Donald Trump 's signature foreign policy achievement in his first term.
US officials had hoped Saudi Arabia would eventually follow suit but expectations have dwindled since Israel's war in Gaza, which drew sharp denunciations from Riyadh.
Gulf states were drawn to the accords partly because they enabled them to forge a united front against Iran. Tehran's nuclear ambitions, missile development and sponsorship of proxy militias were seen as the region's primary threat.
The accords also facilitated intelligence sharing and military cooperation at a time when Washington seemed to be disengaging from the region.
That Israel now risks replacing Iran as the chief source of instability is an irony.
It reflects rising anxiety over what Gulf states, which have preferred to seek a diplomatic solution with Iran, increasingly see as Israel's boundless military ambition.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
35 minutes ago
- Telegraph
The West should recognise the path to a free Iran is in the hands of its people
The uneasy truce between Israel and Iran casts a spotlight on the instability of Iran's ruling theocracy. But beyond the headlines of missiles and counter-strikes lies a quieter revolution – one being waged not from foreign capitals or war rooms, but from city squares and prison cells inside Iran itself. The world should recognise this resistance for what it is: an organised, legitimate force with a credible democratic vision. Most importantly, it must understand that the path to a free Iran cannot be paved by foreign intervention but only by the hands of the Iranian people. For years, the Islamic Republic has teetered on the edge of collapse, not because of sanctions alone, but due to its internal rot. Endemic corruption, economic mismanagement, and violent suppression of dissent have eroded the regime's foundations. The nation has witnessed three major uprisings since 2017, each larger and more defiant than the last. The 2022 protests sparked by the killing of Mahsa Amini were not just about the forced hijab – they were a rejection of a political system that rules through fear, not consent. Now, as Iran's ruling clerics provoke war abroad, hoping to rally nationalist sentiment, their gambit is failing. The disconnect between the regime and the people is only growing. Many Iranians, especially the younger generation, see clearly that the regime's obsession with exporting ideology and resisting the West is the real cause of their global isolation and domestic suffering. However, this resistance is not chaos – it is organised. At its helm is the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a coalition that has long worked toward building a secular, democratic republic. Led by Maryam Rajavi, who recently addressed the European Parliament, the NCRI proposes a viable post-theocratic roadmap: free elections within six months, a new democratic constitution, and a firm commitment to gender equality and minority rights. Its principal group, the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI/MEK), has been instrumental in mobilising and sustaining nationwide protests through its Resistance Units, whose activity inside the country is unmatched. This isn't a fantasy. It's a movement with strategy, structure, and grassroots resilience. Its slogan – 'Down with the Dictator, be it the Shah or the Supreme Leader' – rejects both the clerical regime and a return to monarchy. That clarity should reassure Western observers concerned about a power vacuum. The groundwork for a democratic Iran is already being laid. So what should the West do? It must resist the seduction of top-down regime change. History is littered with such interventions that have produced more instability than liberty. Iranians are more than capable of toppling their oppressors – they've been doing the hard work already. What they need now is recognition. That means formal Western acknowledgement of their right to resist and of the NCRI as a legitimate alternative. Military escalation may weaken the regime temporarily, but ultimately, regime change can only be brought about by the Iranian people and their democratic opposition movement. Thus, the focus should remain on empowering Iranians to secure their own future. The mullahs' days are numbered. How they fall and what rises in their place matters deeply. The West has a choice: either support the Iranian people in their grass-roots fight for democracy, or risk repeating the mistakes of the past by imposing solutions from outside. A free Iran will not be born in exile – it will be forged in the streets of Tehran, Shiraz, and Isfahan. Let those voices lead the way.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
PETER HITCHENS: Donald Trump's attack on Iran was lawless and we'll all regret it soon enough. But it was his actions afterwards that everyone has missed
Donald Trump 's allies are more afraid of him than his enemies are. There are plenty of examples in Washington DC of former critics who now serve at his court, so crushed that they would clean his shoes for him in public if asked. Last week he treated the US constitution like a used paper bag, making a lawless attack on Iran which he was specifically not allowed to do by an overwhelming resolution of Congress, passed when that body still had some guts, in 1973.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
At least 60 killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza, health staff say
At least 60 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza, health workers have said. The strikes began late on Friday and continued into Saturday morning, killing twelve people who were reportedly sheltering in a stadium that is being used to house displaced people. Eight others were killed in their apartments, according to staff at Al-Shifa hospital where the bodies were brought. Hospital staff said that six others - including three children - were killed in southern Gaza when a strike hit their tent in Muwasi. The children's grandmother Suad Abu Teima told the Associated Press: 'What did these children do to them? What is their fault?' More than 20 bodies were taken to Nasser hospital, according to health officials. A strike on a gathering at the entrance to the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza also killed two people, staff at Al-Awda hospital said. The strikes come as US president Donald Trump said there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. He said on Friday: 'We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of'. Mr Trump added: 'I think it's close. I just spoke to some of the people involved. We think within the next week we're going to get a ceasefire'. Israel's minister for strategic affairs Ron Dermer is expected to arrive in Washington next week for talks on Gaza, Iran and other subjects. Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson has said that mediators are engaging with Israel and Hamas to build momentum on the ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Majed al-Ansari, Qatar's spokesperson, said: 'If we don't utilise this window of opportunity and this momentum, it's an opportunity lost amongst many in the near past. We don't want to see that again'. He said they were working with the US 'very closely to make sure that the right pressure is applied from the international community'. Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu also hinted at further peace negotiations in a video on Thursday in which he said that a new opportunity had opened up for a 'dramatic expansion of peace agreements'. He added: ' There is a window of opportunity here that must not be wasted. We must not waste even a single day'. The bombardment of Gaza has claimed over 56,000 lives, according to local officials. The Israeli army said on Saturday that they had 'most likely successfully intercepted' a missile fired from Yemen, with the Houthis claiming responsibility for the launch. An Israeli strike also killed one person in southern Lebanon on Saturday, according to the Lebanese health ministry, despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Meanwhile, hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza. After blocking all food for two and a half months, Israel has allowed only a trickle of supplies into the territory since mid-May. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded while seeking food since the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid in the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on roads heading toward the sites. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots and that it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites.
