Gulf States in March 2026: the most important developments in politics
In March 2026 the politics of the Gulf states centred on Iranian missile and drone attacks on their territory. From 1 March the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states condemned the strikes on the UAE and Oman and affirmed their right to respond. The UAE closed its embassy in Tehran and recalled its ambassador, and Saudi Arabia summoned Iran's envoy. Iran's president apologised on 7 March; Qatar's prime minister said the GCC was hit by missiles ten minutes later. On 11 March the UN Security Council adopted a resolution demanding that Iran end its attacks, with Russia and China abstaining. Italy's defence minister, Guido Crosetto, apologised on 2 March for travelling to Dubai without a security detail.
The second theme was the Strait of Hormuz. From 14 March President Donald Trump asked countries including Japan, South Korea, China, the UK and European states to send warships. Prime Minister Keir Starmer ruled out a NATO mission, France and Greece said they would not join operations while fighting continued, and the EU pursued a diplomatic route. On 22 March Trump gave Iran 48 hours to open the strait; the next day he described talks with Iran as productive, while Iran called its contact with Washington a message exchange, not dialogue.
The Gulf states combined diplomacy with harder steps. Qatar and Oman mediated ceasefire talks. Qatar expelled Iranian military and security attachés, and on 21 March Saudi Arabia ordered Iran's military attaché and four embassy staff to leave. Reports said Saudi Arabia and the UAE were moving toward joining military action, while the UAE ambassador had said on 9 March that the country would not take part in attacks on Iran. A GCC summit on 25 March called the war an existential threat, and Iran was reviewing a ceasefire plan.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky toured the Gulf and signed defence agreements with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. On 6 March Russia and Ukraine exchanged 600 prisoners after UAE and US mediation. Dubai issued laws on outsourcing government services and on public safety, with fines of up to 2 million dirhams.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
Click a day in the chart above for that day's brief.