UAE and Saudi Arabia near decision on joining US military campaign against Iran, WSJ reports
The Wall Street Journal reports that Abu Dhabi and Riyadh are close to finalising a decision on whether to formally join US operations against Iran, a step that would mark an irreversible expansion of the war across the Gulf.
Middle East — March 25, 2026
The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are approaching a final decision on whether to formally join the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported on March 25, 2026, citing officials in both capitals and US diplomatic sources.
If confirmed, the participation of two of the Arab world's most powerful states would represent a watershed in Middle Eastern geopolitics — Gulf Sunni Arab powers publicly aligning with Israel and the United States in a campaign against a common Shia adversary, at the cost of potentially deepening the Sunni-Shia sectarian fracture across the region.
Both governments have privately supported the campaign and provided intelligence cooperation since before the war's outbreak, according to officials familiar with the arrangements. The question has been whether to translate that covert support into a formal, public military role — a step that carries significant domestic political risks in countries where public opinion is hostile to Israel and wary of direct conflict.
Saudi Arabia's decision calculus was upended by the Iranian drone strike on the US embassy in Riyadh on March 5. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is said to have viewed the attack as a direct challenge to Saudi sovereignty and an act of aggression that strengthened the case for active participation.
The UAE, meanwhile, has developed one of the region's most capable air forces and has been in close coordination with US Central Command since the war began. Abu Dhabi is believed to have already contributed logistical and intelligence support, and the remaining question is whether to commit combat aircraft to the campaign.
A formal Gulf Arab entry into the conflict would eliminate any remaining ambiguity about the war's character and could provoke Iranian retaliation against Gulf economic infrastructure, including oil facilities and shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Arab League held an emergency session in Cairo on March 20 that ended without agreement, reflecting deep divisions between states that support action against Iran and those, including Iraq and Algeria, that oppose a broader Arab military involvement.
