Gulf states are expressing growing frustration and confusion over President Trump’s decision to freeze an expansion of the fighting with Iran, amid fears that Washington’s shifting policy could leave the region exposed, N12 reported.

A Saudi source close to the leadership in Riyadh sharply criticized the administration’s handling of the conflict, saying no one understands Trump’s approach or fully trusts him. “The Iranians are playing Trump. They are pulling him in different directions,” the source said, adding that the region cannot continue indefinitely in a state that is neither war nor peace.

The Saudi source also warned that the crisis cannot be considered resolved unless the Strait of Hormuz is made safe and fully reopened to international shipping. Iran, he argued, must also be prevented from continuing to exert outsized influence across the region.

The report comes after The Wall Street Journal said Bahrain and Kuwait secretly carried out airstrikes against Iranian missile and drone storage sites earlier this month, along with other military targets. Kuwait’s embassy in Washington issued a forceful denial, saying Kuwait had not participated in any military action against Iran and had not allowed its territory, airspace or territorial waters to be used for attacks against a neighboring country.

Bahraini analyst Ahmed al-Kuzai told N12 that uncertainty also remains in Bahrain over Washington’s intentions. He said many in the Gulf had expected the war to end with the collapse of the Iranian regime, but that never occurred.

Al-Kuzai said Gulf states remain concerned that the United States could eventually reach an agreement with Iran and leave regional countries to confront Tehran on their own. He added that Gulf states are capable of responding militarily but are choosing the path of peace.

The analyst said that, if the reported strike did occur, it was likely intended as a warning that Gulf states are prepared to carry out targeted attacks against Iranian missile infrastructure if necessary. Otherwise, he said, the result could be the end of the current era of peace in the Gulf.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)