Iran-Israel ceasefire: The Gulf must remain neutral ground

Al Arabiya

24-06-2025

The now-paused conflict between Iran and Israel stands as one of the most dangerous and volatile confrontations in recent memory. Although a ceasefire has been announced, the events of the past weeks underscore just how close the region came to a wider war – and how perilously fragile the current calm remains. At its core, this was a war between two actors: Iran and Israel. Israel initiated the latest round with a series of airstrikes deep inside Iran targeting nuclear facilities. Iran retaliated with ballistic missile attacks against Israeli cities, escalating the confrontation to an unprecedented level.
But the most troubling escalation came when Iran expanded the battlefield beyond Israel. In a deeply reckless and provocative move, Iran launched missile strikes into Qatar, targeting the US-operated al-Udeid Air Base. While most missiles were intercepted by Qatari and US defenses, at least one struck a building near the base. Thankfully, it caused no casualties. However, the act was a seismic shift: a third-party nation uninvolved in the Israel-Iran conflict was suddenly under fire.
Qatar responded swiftly and unequivocally. Its Foreign Ministry condemned the Iranian strike as a 'flagrant violation' of its sovereignty, airspace, and international law. Other Gulf nations rallied around Qatar with statements of solidarity. Saudi Arabia described the attack as 'unjustifiable,' while the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman all issued firm condemnations and called for de-escalation.
This unified reaction reflects more than diplomatic protocol – it represents a collective regional stance against being dragged into a war they neither started nor supported. What makes Iran's actions especially indefensible is that no Gulf state had taken military action against Tehran or facilitated any Israeli operations. Their security precautions were purely defensive, not offensive. Many of these nations had publicly urged restraint and emphasized diplomacy over escalation.
So why would Iran target a Gulf state? If its intent was to retaliate against Israel or the United States, then striking Qatar – a country not involved in the hostilities – makes no strategic or moral sense. For years, Iran has protested violations of its own sovereignty. Yet by attacking Qatar, it engaged in the very behavior it decries. This hypocrisy weakens Iran's credibility and destabilizes a region already on edge.
The recently announced ceasefire offers a moment to pause, but it must also be a time for reflection. Iran's decision to expand the conflict to a peaceful Gulf state risked transforming a bilateral war into a regional conflagration. The consequences could have been catastrophic – not only for the Middle East but for the global economy. The Gulf is home to critical energy infrastructure, and any further escalation could have disrupted oil and gas supplies, choked vital shipping lanes like the Strait of Hormuz, and sent shockwaves through already fragile global markets.
History has shown that regional wars can spiral into global ones when third-party nations are drawn in against their will. The Iranian missile strike may not have caused deaths, but it revealed just how thin the line is between localized conflict and regional war. Even with the ceasefire in place, the risk of reignition remains high if provocations like these are repeated.
This is why the international community must remain vigilant and united. The message to Iran must be clear: the conflict and tensions it has with Israel cannot and must not be expanded to include other states. The Gulf nations have remained neutral and must be protected from retaliation, intimidation, or collateral damage. Global powers, from the United States to China to the European Union, must reinforce the principle that sovereignty is not negotiable and that military aggression against peaceful states will not be tolerated.
The Iranian government must take away a key lesson and recognize that even if it feels strategically cornered, the answer is not to lash out at its neighbors. That path only leads to broader instability and long-term isolation. There are diplomatic channels, regional security frameworks, and international mechanisms through which Iran can voice its grievances – without making innocent nations pay the price.
In conclusion, the Iran-Israel ceasefire may bring temporary relief, but it should not obscure the dangerous precedent Iran set by striking into Qatar. The Gulf states have consistently called for peace and acted with restraint. To punish them with missiles was not only unjust – it was a strategic miscalculation that could have sparked a much wider conflict. The global community must make clear that any future hostilities must remain limited to the original belligerents. The Gulf must not be turned into a battleground.