Saudi Arabia's Iran Strategy Shows Divergence: Privately Urging U.S. to Take Tough Action, Publicly Avoiding Direct Military Involvement

Gate News reports that on March 16, during the ongoing conflict between the U.S., Israel, and Iran, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman repeatedly called U.S. President Donald Trump and privately urged the U.S. to continue applying strong pressure on Iran. This stance is seen as a continuation of the “cut off the snake’s head” strategy proposed by the late Saudi King Abdullah.

However, publicly, Gulf countries remain cautious. Recently, Mohammed bin Salman stated during a meeting with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan that Iran’s attacks on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries pose a serious threat to regional security, but GCC nations will prioritize maintaining regional stability.

Although the conflict has lasted about two weeks, with Iran launching over 2,000 missiles and drones at the Gulf region, Gulf countries have not planned to launch open retaliatory strikes against Iran. Multiple sources indicate that these countries are concerned that direct involvement could trigger larger-scale retaliation and create uncertain impacts on the post-war regional landscape.

Analysts believe that the current strategy of Gulf nations is to support containment of Iran’s influence while avoiding direct involvement in the war, reflecting the complex power dynamics in the Middle East.