Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are reportedly moving closer toward actively joining the fight against Iran, as the war in the Middle East threatens their economies.
According to the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, the Gulf states are “inching toward” a more active role, after Riyadh allowed US forces to use an air base within its borders.
A source familiar with the decision cited by the news outlet said it is “only a matter of time” before Saudi Arabia enters the war, after its foreign minister said last week that its patience for Iranian attacks “is not unlimited.”
Ahead of the war, Riyadh initially attempted to stay out of the impending conflict by refusing to allow its airspace to be used by US forces, though Iran launched missiles at the kingdom anyway.
After Israel and the United States launched the war with an attack on Iran on February 28, Iran responded not only against its attackers but also against all six Gulf Cooperation Council countries — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The repeated strikes have killed several people and disrupted oil and gas production as well as tourism, both of which are important economic lifelines for the region.
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