Why Gulf States Have Refrained from Responding to Israeli-American Attacks on Iran

Iran continues to launch missile attacks in the Gulf region amid its ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel. Last week, after an attack on Israel originating from South Pars—home to the world’s largest natural gas field located in Iran—Iran struck Qatar’s Ras Laffan energy facility. Despite repeatedly being targeted, Qatar and other Gulf states have so far chosen not to take retaliatory action against Iran. Why have these states hesitated to respond militarily, and what factors might compel them to act in the future?

Gulf states have refrained from attacking Iran due to the high risks involved and the limited benefits of such actions. Sina Toosi, a senior non-resident fellow at the US-based think tank Center for International Policy, explains, “From their perspective, this is not their war, and retaliating could expose them from being relatively low-profile actors to major targets.” He adds that the Gulf countries depend heavily on their economies, energy infrastructure, maritime transport, and investor confidence—all of which Iran has demonstrated the capability to disrupt.

According to Pinfold, Gulf states fear that the US is conducting “an open campaign without clear objectives or a post-war plan.” Nevertheless, leaders of the Gulf nations believe that diplomacy remains the sole viable path to ending this conflict. They emphasize that “the only way to protect themselves from attacks is to reach some form of agreement and pursue a negotiated solution.”

Despite their current restraint from retaliatory measures, “the political dynamics could shift rapidly,” warns Dr. H.A. Hellier, a senior associate at the UK-based Royal United Services Institute. He added, “If there are large-scale attacks on energy infrastructure, the outlook of Gulf states could change dramatically.”