Iran’s retaliatory attacks on American allies in the Gulf region have prompted US assurances of continued support, though regional unity remains fragile. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended US operations whilst criticising Iran for targeting energy infrastructure, embassies and airports across the region. The UAE and Bahrain, which host US forces and have close ties with Israel, have borne the brunt of strikes but have so far maintained a unified Gulf stance.

Sultan Barakat, a professor of public policy at Hamad bin Khalifa University, warns that asking regional allies to pay for war costs would be contentious, given they were not consulted about the conflict and have already suffered significant infrastructure damage.

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