Saudi Arabia and its Gulf neighbors have found themselves trapped between two unpalatable outcomes as the US-Iran war grinds on: the devastating cost of continued conflict, or the prospect of a ceasefire that leaves a battered but more radical Iran intact on their borders.
As "Hvylya" reports, citing the Financial Times, Gulf leaders are publicly calling for de-escalation while privately weighing whether a prolonged campaign might better serve their long-term security.
A person familiar with Riyadh's thinking said Saudi Arabia did not want regime change in Iran, but a weakened republic was in the kingdom's interests. "There is a cost to what's happening, but to what extent do you want to say: 'Let's not stop now. Just give it another push,'" the person said. "You don't want to end up in no man's land."
Firas Maksad, managing director for the Middle East and North Africa at Eurasia Group, said some Gulf states now wanted US President Donald Trump to "finish the job" - even if "what that means is a whole different question." He added: "Some are wary about chaos. But what it does mean for all is to significantly degrade Iran's ability to fire missiles and drones at them."
A key concern is that a prolonged war could draw in Iranian-backed Houthis, who fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia after Riyadh intervened in Yemen's civil war in 2015. A fragile truce between the kingdom and the Houthis has held since 2022, and its collapse would open a dangerous second front.
A Saudi official denied to Al Arabiya a report that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has pushed Trump to keep hitting Iran. Publicly, Saudi Arabia has condemned Tehran and called for de-escalation.
Also read: Kharg Island: The Ground Operation That Could Give Trump a Stranglehold on Iran's Economy.