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Source: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/iran-and-a-new-middle-east-alliance-738b96f6?mod=opinion_lead_pos5
Iran's Attacks on Its Gulf Neighbors Were a Historic Strategic Mistake
(Wall Street Journal) Shimon Refaeli - When the regime in Tehran responded to the U.S.-Israeli strike, it didn't limit itself to Israel. Its ballistic missiles and drones were also directed at civilian facilities of Iran's Sunni Arab neighbors in the Gulf. Within hours, the discourse on the Arab street changed. Indifference or implied criticism toward Israel turned into condemnation of Iran. Iran's attacks on its neighbors in the Gulf were a historic strategic mistake of the kind that shapes a regional order for years. The moment it directed its weapons toward its Sunni Arab neighbors, it squandered its political capital. In the eyes of the Gulf states, Iran became an imperial expansion project threatening their national security. Countries that were conflicted, divided or neutral suddenly found themselves on the same side as Israel. The writer, a senior fellow at the David Institute for Security Policy, served as a policy assistant to Ron Dermer, a former Israeli strategic affairs minister, 2023-26.