Iran threatens Gulf states with retaliation if US launches new strikes, rattling energy markets and risk assets

Iran has issued a blunt warning to Gulf Cooperation Council states: if the US launches further military strikes, the countries hosting American bases will pay the price. The threat, directed at nations like Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar, transforms what was already a tense bilateral conflict into something with much broader regional consequences. What Iran is actually threatening Iran’s leadership has made clear that any further US aggression won’t just be met with retaliation against American forces. GCC states that provide basing, logistics, or overflight rights for US military operations are now explicitly in the target set. Since earlier this year, Iran has already launched ballistic missiles against US air bases in Kuwait and struck naval facilities in Bahrain. Energy targets in Qatar have also been hit. The UAE, despite not permitting US strikes from its territory, faces hundreds to thousands of Iranian missile threats. Even non-participation isn’t a guaranteed shield. The energy chokepoint everyone should be watching In 2019, Iranian-linked attacks struck Saudi oil facilities at Abqaiq and Khurais. Those strikes temporarily knocked out a significant portion of Saudi Arabia’s oi...