Why the Gulf fears Israel's 'day after' in Iran

Why the Gulf fears Israel's 'day after' in Iran Submitted by Dania Thafer on Tue, 03/10/2026 - 17:18 The postwar landscape could leave GGC states encircled by instability, while removing the last major constraint on Tel Aviv's pursuit of regional hegemony A plume of smoke rises from the port of Jebel Ali following a reported Iranian strike on Dubai on 1 March 2026 (Fadel Senna/AFP) On Iran has struck every Gulf state with missiles and drones, yet the region’s richest nations and their powerful militaries have remained strikingly passive. They had plenty of warning that the conflagration was coming. Analysts spent weeks speculating on when the US and Israel would strike, while Iran ’s leadership threatened to unleash “hell” on the region in return.