The wealthy countries of the Persian Gulf have steadily become some of the United States' closest partners, through investment, technology, and military relationships. But Israel's assault on Gaza and US-Israeli attacks against Iran have brought turbulence to the region. Now targeted by Iran, the Gulf states find themselves stuck in the middle of a conflict they did not choose. 

In this episode, the Institute for Global Affairs' Jonathan Guyer is joined by Omar Rahman, a fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs. Together they discuss how different Gulf states are navigating the current conflict with Iran, the state of the Abraham Accords, and Trump's Board of Peace. Omar also explains where Palestine fits into the picture and how a lack of legitimate leadership is holding Palestinian liberation back.

Find Omar on X: https://x.com/omarrahman 

Read his recent article in Foreign Policy: https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/07/iran-united-states-gulf-uae-qatar-bahrain-saudi-oman-war/