World politics
fromwww.aljazeera.com
1 hour agoThe Iran war has exposed the limits of neutrality
The US-Israeli war on Iran reveals the failure of containment and the necessity for decisive action in international relations.
Distance does not soften the terror. It only deepens my helplessness. In moments like this, I realize that geography is not measured in miles, but in attachment. War rearranges distance. These days I find myself returning to "The Conference of the Birds," the 12th-century poem by Attar of Nishapur, seeking meaning through ancient wisdom about spiritual journeys and transformation.
The ongoing conflict between the US and Israel against Iran is creating significant challenges for Gulf Arab nations, which are already feeling the economic strain from rising tensions and instability in the region.
I was nine years old, and I felt like I lost that childhood. I felt like I became a kid when I looked at a TV this morning. Burn that image into your mind, his mother told him, knowing the city would never be the same. It was 2003, and mere days later, the United States and its allies would launch their invasion of Iraq, raining airstrikes down on the city.
The Ministers strongly condemned the unjustifiable Iranian attacks against the GCC countries which threaten regional and global security and called on Iran to cease immediately its attacks, they said in a joint EU-GCC statement. The statement also reaffirmed that Gulf countries have the right to take all necessary measures to defend their security and stability and protect their territories, citizens and residents.
If you live here or have lived here for a long time, you understand that it is a safe place to live and that measures are in place to protect you. There's been a big difference in reactions between people who live here and people who are visiting.
For us who lived under the siege of the Iranian-backed militias, this looks completely different, so our happiness for the death of Khamenei was immense. Western audiences and policy makers naturally take greater interest in Western victims and the threats Iran poses to the West. However, the imbalance of power between Iran and the West means that Iran has caused relatively limited harm to Western interests since its 1979 revolution.
Two weeks into the war that President Donald Trump initially said was intended to force regime change in Tehran, the Iranians living here say their families are mostly huddled at home, trying to avoid both the U.S.-Israeli strikes and supporters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) patrolling the streets with guns.
Qatar's minister of state for foreign affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi, speaks with Talk to Al Jazeera, as the Gulf faces its most dangerous escalation in years after coming under Iranian drone and missile attacks. Al Khulaifi condemns Iran's aggression, warns that attacks on energy infrastructure threaten global markets, and argues that Gulf security is inseparable from global stability.
The global impact of the Gulf countries is not limited to oil. This region is a hub of the international economy and if it decides to focus on its defense and to start pulling investments and to stop its [economic] engagement with the international community, the effect will be felt in every household in the world.
An apology comes from Iran's president, yet missiles are still hitting neighbours. Tehran has carried out more attacks on Gulf states despite an apology by the president to Iran's neighbours. Civilian targets have been hit, including airports and vital infrastructure.
Within hours of the United States-Israeli attacks on Iran, US assets in Iraq's Kurdistan region came under retaliatory attacks from Tehran-backed groups, dragging the country into the conflict that has since expanded across the Middle East and beyond. Since then, US assets located in Iraq have come under multiple attacks from pro-Iran groups and Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps (IGRC).
Generations of foreign workers in the GCC countries have significantly contributed to the workforce, including labourers, construction workers, household staff, security personnel, and cleaners, all vital to building the modern infrastructures that Gulf nations are known for. Millions consider the Gulf their home, despite holding nationalities from other countries.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed all Israeli and US military targets in the Middle East have been struck by the powerful blows of Iranian missiles. This operation will continue relentlessly until the enemy is decisively defeated, it said. All US assets throughout the region are considered legitimate targets for Iran's army, it added.
Gulf countries have pledged support for Kuwait's sovereignty after Iraq submitted new maritime coordinates and an updated map to the United Nations. Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates backed Kuwait after the emirate summoned Iraq's charge d'affaires on Saturday to protest Baghdad's move, calling it a violation of its sovereignty. list of 3 itemsend of list Iraq said it made the updates based on the lowest low-water line used to measure its territorial sea.
"Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!... HELP IS ON ITS WAY," Trump posted on Tuesday, 13, 2026, on his Truth Social platform. However, after a week of ongoing demonstrations, help is yet to be seen. In fact, the US president has backtracked from his capital-letters pledge. He said he had been informed that the killings were subsiding and he did not believe mass executions were currently planned.