Debate: Is Israel's confrontation with Iran changing Gulf Arab threat perceptions?

As a result of its confrontation with Israel, Iran has emerged more vulnerable, militarily weakened and with its regional clout under pressure. To Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other Gulf Arab states, a downsized Iran is likely a welcome shift from a longstanding threat. On the other hand, an overly weakened Iran could enable the emergence of an even more unrestrained and unchecked Israel, potentially posing a greater challenge. In this equation, the core of Gulf Arab strategic considerations now seem to revolve around balancing Iran’s influence while closely monitoring Israel's growing military assertiveness and regional ambitions.

Amwaj.media invited three experts to discuss whether the changing regional security dynamics and any potential growing perceptions of Israel as a threat will accelerate normalization efforts—or hinder them.

• Aziz Alghashian is an Associate Fellow at the Center for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient (CARPO).
  
  
• Elham Fakhro is a Fellow at the Middle East Initiative at the Harvard Kennedy School.
  
  
• Luciano Zaccara is a Principal Researcher at New Ground Research in Qatar. He is also a Visiting Associate Professor at Georgetown University in Qatar.