Targeting Gulf states by Iran may be a strategic mistake

The missile retaliation from the Iranian military on the Gulf states has triggered some debates on whether Iran can achieve its strategic objective of putting the Gulf states under strain, which might compel them to pressure the US to halt the airstrikes. While some commentators believe that this Iranian strategy can work, the author of this piece strongly believes that this may become a serious strategic miscalculation from the Iranian regime. There are several reasons why the author holds this position.

Iran’s airstrikes on Gulf states may lead these countries to form a stronger coalition with the United States and escalate the conflict with Iran. The strikes targeted critical economic areas in response to US and Israeli actions against Iran. Analysts suggest that Iran intended to pressure Gulf states into pushing US President Donald Trump to cease military actions, but this may have backfired, aligning Gulf states more closely with the US