Gulf countries have begun to expel Iranian diplomats from their territories as part of the state's strategy to manage the conflict with Iran and ramp up pressure incrementally.
In four weeks of conflict, Iran has launched thousands of rockets and drones at the Gulf states, the UAE being the one targeted the most. Other countries such as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar have also suffered from demonstrations of Iranian power; as have Kuwait and Oman.
According to Arab News, Saudi Arabia expelled Iranian military staff over the weekend. “Saudi Arabia has expelled several Iranian military officials and renewed its strong condemnation of what it described as ‘blatant’ attacks by Iran against the Kingdom and regional states, the foreign ministry said on Saturday.”
This followed Qatar's decision to operate the same way, several days ago to do the same. Doha's response came after Iran attacked a gas field, when Tehran claimed its action was a response to Israel targeting an Iranian gas field.
“Earlier, the Foreign Ministry expelled Iran’s military and security diplomats, along with their staff, ordering them to leave Qatar within 24 hours,” a report at The National in the UAE said on March 19.
Meanwhile, Riyadh’s state media, the Saudi Press Agency, said that the Saudi Foreign Ministry said: “The continued targeting of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, civilian infrastructure, diplomatic missions, and economic interests by Iran constituted a clear violation of international law and norms.”
Diplomatic fallout: Gulf states expel Iranian officials amid attacks
The report went on to note that Riyadh “added that the attacks also breached the terms of the Beijing Agreement and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026), as well as principles of good neighborliness and respect for state sovereignty.”
Saudi Arabia and Iran had sought to reconcile their ties over the last three years. Now Iran appears to have shattered that trust, as the Kingdom expressed its “categorical condemnation” of Iranian attacks. The secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) also slammed the Islamic Republic's airstrikes.
“These attacks involve the deliberate targeting of infrastructure and oil facilities in flagrant violation of international law and norms, posing a direct threat to regional security and the stability of global energy supplies,” Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, the secretary-general, said in a statement released on Sunday.
Al-Ain media in the UAE noted that the GCC continues to slam Iran for Tehran’s attacks. The GCC “stressed that these attacks represent an unacceptable escalation and reveal a continued Iranian approach based on destabilizing the region and undermining de-escalation efforts.”
The Gulf countries have said they have a right to respond under the UN Charter, as Iran has applied the use of force within the states. They say they may “take the necessary measures and actions to protect their security and stability, preserve their assets and wealth, and respond to these attacks in a manner commensurate with the scale of the threat.”
So far, Gulf states have not responded militarily. However, every day brings such a response closer. They are seeking to be cautious and slowly, incrementally lay out their case.
Al-Ain media in the UAE noted that “the Gulf Cooperation Council called on the international community to assume its responsibilities regarding these developments, by condemning the Iranian attacks and taking a firm and deterrent stance, in order to contribute to stopping this escalating approach.”