BlockBeats report, March 3: Middle East analysts note that Iran’s airstrikes on Gulf nations may force them to join opposing camps and escalate the war against Iran. Iran recently targeted six Gulf nations hosting U.S. military bases in an attempt to pressure President Trump into halting the war, but analysts suggest Iran has miscalculated.
The Gulf Cooperation Council—Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman—held an emergency ministerial meeting last Sunday, invoking Article 51 of the UN Charter, setting "red lines," and signaling collective self-defense in response to escalating energy disruptions and security threats. The message conveyed by the GCC to Tehran was unequivocal: Iran’s attacks have instead strengthened unity among the Gulf states.
According to PolyBeats, on the prediction market Polymarket, the probability of Saudi Arabia taking action against Iran by March 31 is 74%, Qatar is 74%, the UAE is 62%, and Bahrain is 30%.