Saudis and UAE take steps toward joining Iran war, WSJ reports

2026-03-24 - 04:00

Banners showing the flags of (left to right) Bahrain, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, the UAE and Qatar hang off a building under construction in Basra, Iraq. (AFP pic) NEW YORK: Saudi Arabia and the UAE have taken steps toward joining the Iran war, the Wall Street Journal reported, potentially signaling an escalation of the fighting. Saudi Arabia agreed to give the US military access to King Fahd Air Base, the WSJ reported, citing people familiar with the matter, an apparent reversal after saying its bases couldn’t be used to attack its longtime rival. The newspaper also cited people familiar as saying the UAE closed an Iranian-owned hospital and club — undercutting a key source of support for Tehran. Videos apparently showed that some missiles used in attacks on Iran were launched from Bahrain, the WSJ said. The US military declined to say if it was getting help from countries in the region, the newspaper reported. Crude oil edged higher after the WSJ report and US stock-index futures erased gains. The reported moves by Washington’s Gulf partners indicate they are growing frustrated with Iran, which has responded to US and Israeli attacks by hitting targets in several nearby nations. Israel’s attack last week on an Iranian gas field sparked retaliatory strikes by Iran against energy assets across the Middle East. President Donald Trump rebuked Israel, which later said it would no longer target energy infrastructure. The WSJ report followed Trump’s announcement on Monday that he was holding off on attacking Iranian energy infrastructure for five days, after what he called “productive conversations” with the country. Trump has yet to provide any details on the participants in the talks or the parameters of a deal. Axios reported Monday that Steve Witkoff was negotiating with Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, the Iranian Parliament’s speaker. Ghalibaf in a post on X said no negotiations have been held with the US. Iranian state television said the US had tried to negotiate with Iran through intermediaries in recent days but the Tehran government had not responded to those requests.