Why Iran Is Attacking Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar?

In the ongoing Iran war that began with the 28 February 2026 US-Israeli airstrikes, Tehran has not limited its retaliation to American bases. Iran has launched hundreds of missiles and drones directly at Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and other Gulf states. Dubai International Airport, Jebel Ali Port, Palm Jumeirah luxury hotels, Aramco facilities in Saudi Arabia, Ras Tanura refinery, Shaybah oil field, Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base and civilian areas in Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman have all been hit.

Just two days after the failed Geneva talks, coordinated US-Israeli airstrikes hit a senior Iranian leadership meeting in Tehran. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several top officers were killed. A new young Supreme Leader, the second son of Ali Khamenei, was quickly installed. According to Donald Trump, this was supposed to be the “regime change” he had repeatedly hinted at. But with Khamenei’s own son taking over, it turned out to be something entirely different. It seems Trump lost here – the strike removed one leader but left the Islamic Republic stronger and more united under the new leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

The Personal Bribes Flowing to Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff

Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE have poured billions directly into the pockets of the two men who were running secret back-channel talks with Iran just weeks before the war.

Jared Kushner (Donald Trump’s son-in-law) received $2 billion from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) in 2022-2024 for his firm Affinity Partners. Saudi advisers had opposed the deal, calling Kushner inexperienced and the risk too high, but Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally overruled them. Later, Affinity raised another $1.5 billionfrom Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi’s Lunate. The firm has already collected $157 million in management fees – including $87 million straight from the Saudi government – while giving zero profits or returns to the investors. US Senator Ron Wyden is still investigating this as possible influence-buying.

Steve Witkoff (Trump’s close friend and back-channel negotiator) saw Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund buy his Park Lane Hotel for $623 million in 2023. Through the Trump-family crypto venture World Liberty Financial (linked to Witkoff’s son Zach), Abu Dhabi’s MGX pumped $2 billion into Binance using a Trump-family stablecoin. On top of all this, Qatar gifted Donald Trump a luxury Boeing 747-8 jet worth $400 million – officially accepted by the US in May 2025. Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer called it “the largest bribe from a foreign government in American history.”

In Iran’s eyes, these are not business deals. These are personal payoffs so that the Gulf countries can buy American protection and ensure the Trump administration stands with them against Tehran.

The Official US Defence and Technology Tie-Ups – The Military Backbone

These personal bribes are backed by massive official agreements that have turned the Gulf states into armed extensions of the United States:

• Saudi Arabia signed the largest arms package in US history –  $142 billion in 2025, including F-35 fighter jets, nearly 300 Abrams tanks, $9 billion in Patriot missiles, $3 billion F-15 sustainment and full strategic defence cooperation. Saudi Arabia is now a designated major non-NATO ally.
• UAE is officially a “major defence partner” with more than $29 billion in active US Foreign Military Sales (F-35 jets, MQ-9B drones, THAAD missile defence, Apache helicopters). It hosts 3,500 US troops at Al Dhafra Air Base and signed new AI and technology partnerships, including plans for massive Nvidia chip imports and 1GW AI data centres.
• Qatar spent over $8 billion upgrading Al Udeid Air Base,  the largest US base in the Middle East, home to 11,000+ American troops and CENTCOM forward headquarters. Qatar has $26 billion in active arms deals including advanced F-15QA fighters and Patriot systems. In 2025-2026 the two countries opened the first bilateral air-defence command post in the region.

These deals mean Gulf countries now host American troops, operate American weapons, run joint air-defence systems and share advanced AI/cyber technology with Washington. In Tehran’s view, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar have become forward bases for the very alliance that just assassinated their Supreme Leader, even if the regime-change plan ultimately failed.

Iran’s Justification: “You Funded Them, You Hosted Them, Now You Pay the Price”

Iran has made its message crystal clear through its actions and statements:

“You poured billions into Trump’s inner circle. You signed massive defence pacts with America. You host US troops and weapons pointed at us. You helped create the coalition that tried to kill our Supreme Leader and change our regime. Even though the new leader is Khamenei’s own son and the regime stands stronger, you are still not neutral neighbours — you are active participants in this war.”

This is not sudden rage. It is built on decades of Shia-Sunni rivalry, past proxy wars, the 2019 Aramco drone attacks, tanker incidents in the Gulf, and repeated clashes in Mecca. Iran has always seen the oil-rich Sunni Gulf monarchies as existential threats — especially when they are armed to the teeth by the United States.

By hitting Dubai airports, Palm Jumeirah hotels, Aramco refineries and Al Udeid, Iran wants to:

• Destroy the Gulf’s image as a safe global business and tourism hub
• Disrupt oil and gas supplies to raise prices worldwide
• Force Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar to urgently pressure Washington for a ceasefire
• Show that anyone who funds or hosts America’s war machine will pay a direct price, regime change or not

The Strait of Hormuz is now partially blocked. Oil prices have skyrocketed. India and the rest of the world are already feeling the pain of shortages and inflation.

The Bottom Line

The personal billions given to Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, combined with the official $142 billion Saudi, $29 billion UAE and $26 billion Qatar defence deals with the United States, have turned the Gulf countries into targets. In Iran’s eyes, these investments and alliances are not innocent business , they are war funding and military infrastructure aimed at destroying the Islamic Republic.

Trump wanted regime change. He got the opposite: a new, younger Khamenei who is already proving more aggressive. Yet the Gulf still pays the price.

That is why Iranian missiles and drones are falling on Dubai hotels, Saudi oil fields and Qatar’s biggest US base today.

Iran is not attacking random neighbours. It is attacking the countries it believes bought and armed the very war that tried – and failed – to erase its leadership.

The bill for those personal bribes and official defence pacts is now being paid in fire, explosions and economic chaos across the Gulf. And Tehran has made it very clear: this is only the beginning.