- Tensions have increased since Iran launched missiles and drone strikes on Israel on Saturday night.
- The Jewish state was the target of the first attack from Iranian land, and Israel is considering its reaction.
- The situation in Jordan is causing special concern for both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Maximum “self-restraint” in the Middle East has been demanded by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to protect the area from the perils of war and its catastrophic aftermath. Tensions have increased since Iran launched missiles and drone strikes on Israel on Saturday night.
The remarks follow a phone conversation between UAE President Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. The Jewish state was the target of the first attack from Iranian land, and Israel is considering its reaction. A few of Tehran’s top commanders were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the consulate in Damascus earlier this month, for which Tehran claimed responsibility.
War Warning
The region is on edge due to the growing tit-for-tat between Iran and Israel, and Gulf leaders may see this as an opportunity to set aside differences to address shared risks and difficulties.
Several problems, including how to handle Iran, ending the ten-year war in Yemen, and regional economic and political leadership, have caused friction between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh in the past.
The situation in Jordan is causing special concern for both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The administration there claims it is torn between forces in Iran and other surrounding nations who are linked with Tehran and are keen to take advantage of the protracted conflict in Gaza to increase their influence and reach, including in Jordan. It has labeled the Israeli government as a threat to regional peace.
Several events have alarmed Amman, including claims by Iran’s official media that it is helping Israel by shooting down some of the drones and missiles that Tehran has sent at the Jewish state.
Over the past few weeks, months-long demonstrations in front of the Israeli Embassy in Amman have become more violent and pro-Hamas. Due to their familial and tribal links, Saudi Arabia and the UAE consider Jordan to be essential to their own national security and a valuable component of their geostrategic depth.
