I do not have nearly the context and intel that people who study the Mid-East professionally do. I also do not have any contacts with recent intel in the area. It finally occurred to me that there is a public proxy of sorts that could give us a better-informed take on the situation.
As I cannot recall hearing condemation of the U.S. and Israel strikes by Iranian neighbors, I asked Grok this question:
Which, if any other than Iran, Middle East countries have spoken out against the U.S./Israel strikes against Iran?
This is the response:
Most Middle Eastern countries (particularly Gulf/Arab states) have not spoken out against the U.S./Israeli strikes on Iran. Instead, many have condemned Iran’s retaliatory attacks on their territories or U.S. interests there, often issuing joint statements emphasizing sovereignty violations and their right to self-defense.
Key examples from reports:
- Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, and Oman (Gulf states plus Jordan) condemned Iran’s strikes on their soil or U.S. bases/assets in the region. They issued statements (sometimes joint with the U.S.) denouncing Iran’s actions as “reckless,” “indiscriminate,” and a threat to stability.
- The Arab League (representing 22 nations) called Iran’s retaliatory attacks a “blatant violation of sovereignty” of peaceful countries.
- Even Syria (historically an Iranian ally) condemned Iran in statements, amid its government’s shift toward better ties with the U.S. and Gulf states.
Some limited criticism of the U.S./Israeli strikes exists:
- Lebanon’s Hezbollah (an Iranian proxy) condemned the U.S.-Israeli attacks as violations of international law.
- The League of Arab States expressed “deep concern” over the broader situation and urged de-escalation, but this appears more balanced/general rather than direct condemnation of the initial strikes.
- One report mentions a joint statement from 21 Arab and Muslim countries (led by Egypt) condemning Israel’s airstrikes on Iran and calling for de-escalation/nuclear disarmament without selectivity—but this contrasts with the broader pattern of Gulf states aligning against Iran’s retaliation.
Overall, no major Middle Eastern governments (beyond Iran itself) have prominently or consistently spoken out against the U.S./Israeli strikes. The dominant regional response has been silence on the initial strikes or criticism of Iran’s subsequent actions, with some Gulf frustration directed at the U.S. for perceived prioritization of Israel’s defense over theirs during the escalation.
Countries like Turkey, Iraq, Egypt, and others have not been prominently reported as condemning the U.S./Israeli actions in available sources—many stayed silent on the initial strikes or focused on condemning Iran’s follow-up attacks. Russia and China (non-Middle Eastern) have condemned the U.S./Israeli strikes.
This reminds “the dog that didn’t bark” clue from the Sherlock Holmes story, Silver Blaze. This tells me either these other countries are getting pressure from U.S./Israel to be supportive or be quiet, or they actually support the attacking of Iran. My guess is they support it or at least have mixed feelings about and are not actively opposed.
Good to know.
There was a video of one of the American pilots accidently shot down by Kuwaiti air defense standing in a field. He was being approached by locals. Lead person asked (in English) if pilot was OK and if anything was needed. Then ended with “Thank you for helping us.”
Qatar definitely shot down a couple of Iranian jets and there are rumors they have run strike missions. US missions are being run from bases in many Arab countries.
Iran has been hated by most of the leadership of those countries for a long time. It took lots of stupidity on our part to keep them grouped up with Iran this long. Thank you so much, “Middle East experts”, you horrible a-holes.
The Iranians are Shias and non-Arabs, they have never been popular in the region. Technically they are in Near Asia and not the Middle East.
I’m not an expert, but it seems to me that Iran supports and sponsors terrorism and terrorist groups all over the world, including in their immediate neighbors in the Middle East. They take that “Shi’a good, Sunni bad” thing to an extreme and will attack and kill even other Muslims over those differences of belief.
And the neighbors all know it.
The neighbors didn’t want to strike themselves because as much of a PITA the Islamic Republic is, all-out war is worse. But just like the school-yard bully who’s been picking on everyone else in the playground, once a bigger kid comes along and puts him in his place, he finds zero sympathy among the group.
That, in my (admittedly inexperienced) opinion, is where the Iranian government, mullahs, and ayatollahs find themselves now. They’ve jabbed and picked on their neighbors for so long that, now that they’re the ones on the receiving end, they have no real allies willing to stand with them. The Iranian people are receiving support, but the government? Eh, not so much.
Personally, I wish it didn’t have to come to this, but at the same time I think it should have happened 20-30 years ago and the world will ultimately be better off without the mullahs and ayatollahs having the power and resources to promote and fund political and religious violence in support of their world view. (And no, those are not contradictory statements.)
Well, that’s how it goes when you try to walk down the middle of the road. You always get pushed to one side or the other. If not outright ran over.
And why complain? It ain’t like daddy-war bucks isn’t going to pay for all the damages. (Thank you American tax slaves.)
Who cares if you lose a few people in the process? Is Iran is going to help you out if you need a friend? Not anymore. (If they ever did.)
So ya, nothing to bark about.
And they can always tell Iran (or what’s left of it) that they didn’t want to get the same treatment if they didn’t cooperate. Cause big dogs bite, whoever they want. Especially in that part of the world.
Every leader in the mid-east knows what Bracken just pointed out.
“It’s like “mad max, thunderdome”, and Bebe is the evil midget riding on the back of the giant retard (us & Trump). I wouldn’t want to get caught complaining either.
“Well, that’s how it goes when you try to walk down the middle of the road. You always get pushed to one side or the other. If not outright ran over.”
Marion Hammer once famously said “all you find in the middle of the road are yellow lines and dead skunks.”
If one chooses to “sit on the fence” one best choose a split rail fence rather than one with pickets. Neither is a positive event in any sense, but one quite a bit less so for prolonged use by the sitter.