‘Return to Your Senses’: Gulf States Ramp Up Iran Criticism

Smoke at Jebel Ali port after an Iranian missile attack in Dubai, on March 1.Photographer: Christopher Pike/Bloomberg

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By Paul Wallace and Christine Burke

March 1, 2026 at 11:18 AM UTC

Updated on

March 2, 2026 at 1:05 PM UTC

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates stepped up criticism of Iran’s attacks across the region, while they and other Gulf states coordinate to try to halt what they’ve called “treacherous” and “heinous” actions by Tehran.

Ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council held an extraordinary meeting on Sunday to consider steps to restore stability and peace in the Middle East, according to a statement from state-run Saudi Press Agency.