# Gulf countries

Iran Says It Is Targeting US Bases, Not Gulf Governments — A Warning with Wide Ripples

Iran has publicly framed recent strikes on military facilities in Gulf countries as attacks on US territory rather than on host governments, saying it does not intend to target Gulf rulers. The posture aims to deter further US action while complicating Gulf states’ security relationship with Washington and raising the risk of continued tit-for-tat escalation in the region.