# The Gulf Plays Defense

- Link: https://instituteforglobalaffairs.org/2026/06/the-gulf-plays-defense/
- Published: 2026-06-10T10:06:33-04:00

### Omar Rahman on the changing shape of the Middle East

The wealthy countries of the Persian Gulf have steadily become some of the United
States’ closest partners, through investment, technology, and military relationships.
But Israel’s assault on Gaza and US-Israeli attacks against Iran have brought turbulence
to the region. Now targeted by Iran, the Gulf states find themselves stuck in the
middle of a conflict they did not choose. 

In this episode, the [Institute for Global Affairs](https://instituteforglobalaffairs.org/)’
Jonathan Guyer is joined by Omar Rahman, a fellow at the Middle East Council on 
Global Affairs. Together they discuss how different Gulf states are navigating the
current conflict with Iran, the state of the Abraham Accords, and Trump’s Board 
of Peace. Omar also explains where Palestine fits into the picture and how a lack
of legitimate leadership is holding Palestinian liberation back.

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**Omar H. Rahman** is a fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, where
he is the editor of _Afkār_, an online publication focused on Palestine, Middle 
East geopolitics, and US foreign policy. He previously served as a nonresident fellow
at the Baker Institute for Public Policy, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Doha
Center, and a research analyst at the Arab Gulf States Institute. Omar started his
career in journalism, working for publications including _+972 Magazine_, _World
Politics Review_, and Argus Media. His writing has been published in _The Washington
Post_, _Foreign Policy_, _The Guardian_, and _Rolling Stone_, among others. 

Find Omar on X: [https://x.com/omarrahman](https://x.com/omarrahman) 

Read his recent article in _Foreign Policy_: [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/07/iran-united-states-gulf-uae-qatar-bahrain-saudi-oman-war/](https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/07/iran-united-states-gulf-uae-qatar-bahrain-saudi-oman-war/)