The United States (US) has gained backing from five Gulf countries after being snubbed by several European nations.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday, March 19, that the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia have aligned more closely with Washington.
He said this is in response to Iran’s recent attacks on civilian infrastructure, signaling a deepening regional cooperation against Tehran’s aggressive actions.
“The Gulf States have stepped up significantly. Iran’s reckless attempts to strike civilian infrastructure and other targets have pulled countries that were not previously fully engaged directly into alignment with us,” he said.
“We are proud to defend alongside them and stand with them.”
US Gains Support From 5 Gulf Countries After Snub by European Nations
Hegseth said the Iranian regime posed a threat to ‘freedom and civilisation’ after refusing to yield on its nuclear ambitions and declared the war an ‘overwhelming success’.
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Hegseth Slams US European Allies as ‘Ungrateful’
At the same time, Hegseth accused America’s European allies of being “ungrateful” and said they should be “thanking” Donald Trump for his war in Iran.
He added that Washington’s allies should be appreciative of the US effort to “stop this terror state from holding the world hostage with missiles while building or attempting to build a nuclear bomb”.
US American officials, including President Trump, have repeatedly criticised Nato allies for not supporting the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Earlier this week, Trump claimed that NATO had “abandoned the US in our time of need” but stressed: “We don’t need their help”.
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Islamic and Arab countries condemn Iran’s Attacks, Call for De-escalation
Hegseth statement comes after major Arab and Muslim-majority countries on Thursday strongly condemned Iran’s “deliberate” missile and drone attacks, calling for an immediate halt and respect for international law.
The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) met in Riyadh on March 18 to discuss recent Iranian attacks and broader regional escalation.
In a joint statement, the ministers said the attacks targeted residential areas and key civilian infrastructure, including oil facilities, desalination plants, airports, and diplomatic premises, in neighboring countries, stressing that such actions cannot be justified under any circumstances.
They affirmed that states have the right to defend themselves in line with Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, while urging Iran to stop its attacks and promote diplomacy to de-escalate tensions.
The countries said the future of relations with Iran depends on respecting states’ sovereignty and refraining from interfering in their internal affairs, from violating their sovereignty or territory, and from using military capabilities to threaten countries in the region.
They stressed the need for Iran to comply with U.N. Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026), which calls for an immediate halt to attacks, an end to threats against neighboring states, and the cessation of support, financing, and arming of affiliated militias in Arab countries.
The ministers also called on Iran to refrain from threatening international navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and maritime security in the Bab al-Mandab.
