Was the Gulf blindsided on Iran?
From The Conversation Weekly by The Conversation
March 5, 2026 · 29 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the implications of the US and Israel's actions against Iran and the resulting impact on Gulf states' diplomatic relations.
As Israel and the US continued to bomb Iran after killing the country's supreme leader Ali Khamenei, Iran lashed out at its neighbours with multiple drone strikes, including against the US embassy in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia and Iran have a long and bitter rivalry. Yet, in recent years, the Saudis had begun building new diplomatic relationship with Iran, even as they and other Gulf states continued to host American military bases, and court American investment. Now the Gulf states find themselves in the middle of the very regional conflict many of its leaders hoped to avoid. It's one which threatens longstanding efforts to cement the Gulf as a hub for finance, travel and tourism, and as an oasis of security. Were they blindsided? Or did some actually want the US to attack Iran? With the US and Israel seemingly calling the shots, what will the Gulf states do now? In today's episode, we speak to Simon Mabon , a professor of international relations at Lancaster University in the UK and expert in Saudi-Iran relations, about how the Gulf's delicate balancing act between the US and Iran came toppling down. This episode was written and produced by Mend Mariwany and Katie Flood. The…
People in this episode
Guest: Simon Mabon
Topics covered
- Iran
- Saudi Arabia
- US foreign policy
- Middle East conflict
- diplomacy
- regional security
Keywords
- Iran
- Saudi Arabia
- US
- diplomacy
- drone strikes
- regional conflict
- Ali Khamenei
- Gulf states
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Conversation, Lancaster University
Places: Saudi Arabia, Iran, US, Riyadh, Gulf
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