The Gulf states’ offensive options against Iran

Impatient with Iran’s attacks, the Gulf states have multiple options if they wish to increase the costs for Tehran, but they would run the risk of escalating the conflict.

“Online Analysis Online Analysis The Gulf states’ offensive options against Iran Dr Hasan Alhasan Senior Fellow for Middle East Policy About Dr Hasan Online Analysis 16th March 2026 The Gulf states’ offensive options against Iran Impatient with Iran’s attacks, the Gulf states have multiple options if they wish to increase the costs for Tehran, but they would run the risk of escalating the conflict”

Iiss

Nevertheless, the Gulf states have re-emphasised their neutrality and maintained a defensive posture.

Despite affirming their right to respond to Iran’s attacks, they have not set red lines that would prompt military retaliation.

“Online Analysis Online Analysis The Gulf states’ offensive options against Iran Dr Hasan Alhasan Senior Fellow for Middle East Policy About Dr Hasan Online Analysis 16th March 2026 The Gulf states’ offensive options against Iran Impatient with Iran’s attacks, the Gulf states have multiple options if they wish to increase the costs for Tehran, but they would run the risk of escalating the conflict”

Iiss

Although mass-casualty events or major outages affecting critical infrastructure such as water-desalination units or power plants could push them over the brink, the risk of inviting further Iranian escalation, added to their distrust of Washington, has tilted the Gulf states in favour of maintaining a defensive posture, at least for now.

The Gulf states could take a more direct role and deploy their own military capabilities against Iran.

“Online Analysis Online Analysis The Gulf states’ offensive options against Iran Dr Hasan Alhasan Senior Fellow for Middle East Policy About Dr Hasan Online Analysis 16th March 2026 The Gulf states’ offensive options against Iran Impatient with Iran’s attacks, the Gulf states have multiple options if they wish to increase the costs for Tehran, but they would run the risk of escalating the conflict”

Iiss

Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE possess land-attack cruise missiles (LACMs) that provide them with stand-off attack capability.

The three states have procured Storm Shadow LACMs – the UAE’s variant is also known as Black Shaheen – that operate at a range of 400 kilometres.

They also operate air platforms including Saudi Arabia’s Tornado IDS, Eurofighter Typhoons and F-15SAs, the UAE’s Mirage 2000s and Qatar’s Rafales, with combat radii ranging from 1,390–1,850 km, allowing air forces to strike deep into Iran should they choose to penetrate Iranian airspace or, if they do not, to strike targets within 400 km range in southwestern Iran.

Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE possess short-range ballistic missile systems capable of striking targets along Iran’s southwestern Gulf coast.

Moreover, all the Gulf states except Bahrain have combat-capable UAVs, though inventories and production volumes are typically unannounced.

The Gulf states could use their precision-strike capabilities to take out Iran’s missile or drone launchers in a defensive response to Iran’s missile and UAV attacks against them.

Pre-emptive attacks against Iran’s launchers would, however, be operationally difficult, and would require active intelligence collection to detect and neutralise launchers, many of which are mobile or concealed, and coordination with the US and Israel, already active in Iranian airspace.

“Online Analysis Online Analysis The Gulf states’ offensive options against Iran Dr Hasan Alhasan Senior Fellow for Middle East Policy About Dr Hasan Online Analysis 16th March 2026 The Gulf states’ offensive options against Iran Impatient with Iran’s attacks, the Gulf states have multiple options if they wish to increase the costs for Tehran, but they would run the risk of escalating the conflict”

Iiss