UN Sides With Gulf States In One-Sided Iran War Rebuke

That shift ignited the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-88. Gulf Arab states funneled billions of dollars in logistical aid to then-Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Iran struck back by attacking neutral oil tankers and mining the Gulf - drawing early Security Council resolutions urging calm, though they carried limited weight.

After the war, Tehran largely stepped back from direct conventional attacks on Arab soil, turning instead to a cheaper and far more discreet strategy: building proxy militias.

Iran played a key role in founding Hezbollah in Lebanon in 1982, supported Shiite armed factions in Iraq after the 2003 US invasion, backed Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria and supplied arms to the Houthis in Yemen beginning in 2015.

Through these proxy networks, Iran projected influence from the Mediterranean to the Arabian Peninsula, maintaining a level of involvement subtle enough to avoid widespread or sustained international condemnation.

For decades, UN resolutions on Iran - from Resolution 1696 in 2006 to Resolution 2231 in 2015 - focused narrowly on its nuclear program and missiles. Its regional meddling received only passing notice.

Then came the escalation of February and March 2026. In retaliation for US and Israeli strikes on its soil that had decapitated its leadership, Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones - not only at American bases but at civilian neighborhoods, ports and airports across Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Jordan.

In the UAE, where the authors are based, debris hit residential areas and hotels in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, killing civilians of 25 nationalities and wounding more than 120. Iranian officials also reported civilian casualties from the initial strikes on it.

As UAE Ambassador Mohamed Abushahab told the Security Council:“Through its indiscriminate strikes, Iran has sought to spread terror among our community, but our people have defied them, enduring the attacks with remarkable resilience and unity.”

Iran's attacks have also menaced the Strait of Hormuz - the 21-mile-wide chokepoint through which roughly 20 million barrels of oil pass each day, representing about one-fifth of global supply. Tankers from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Iraq have no alternative route.

Iran has threatened this vital passage before, during the 1980s Tanker War, attacking commercial ships and laying mines, forcing the US Navy to organize armed convoys. Iran's disruption now has sent global oil prices surging and severely impacted economies from Europe to Asia.

Faced with direct fire from Iranian territory, the GCC states - often divided on Iran policy - have responded this time with remarkable speed and unity. The 13-0 vote for the resolution that solely condemns Iran reflects more than just diplomatic skill. It marks a strategic shift, though one that does not resolve underlying GCC disagreements about Iran.

Over the years, Gulf capitals have substantially strengthened their defense capabilities and built diplomatic networks extending well beyond their traditional Western partners. This time, they have taken a leading role in shaping the UN agenda rather than just simply reacting to events.