Qatar and UAE urge Gulf security self-reliance after regional war impacts

Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have said Gulf states must strengthen their own defences and cannot rely on the United States alone for security. The remarks were delivered separately at the Hili Forum in Abu Dhabi on Monday, as the regional war continued to shape security thinking across the Gulf. Both officials argued that the conflict has exposed limits in the current regional security model.

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Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson, Dr Majed Al Ansari, said international forces and a strategic alliance with Washington remain important, but are not enough on their own. He told the forum that self-sufficiency in security is the only way forward and that Gulf countries need to realise they cannot depend on allies alone. Qatar hosts the largest US military base in the Middle East, a fact that underlines the significance of his comments.

Anwar Gargash, the UAE president's diplomatic adviser, said the region will need to find ways to rebuild relations with Iran because geography leaves no alternative to engagement. He said those relations must be judged by actions rather than words, and that trust will be difficult to restore. Gargash also said Iran's attacks on the UAE and other Gulf states were not impulsive, but a premeditated war of choice against neighbours in violation of international law.

The comments matter because they point to a broader reassessment of Gulf security after the war's consequences spread beyond the immediate battlefield. They also reflect a shared view that external protection alone is not sufficient, even where long-standing military partnerships exist. For Gulf governments, the issue is not only deterrence but also how to manage relations with Iran while reducing exposure to future shocks.

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The forum remarks also fit into a longer-running debate over how Gulf states organise their defence and diplomacy. The UAE has said throughout the war that Gulf countries should have worked together more strongly and in a more united way to confront Iranian attacks and the wider impact of the conflict. Qatar, meanwhile, has denied Tehran's claim that its prolonged attacks in the first phase of the war were directed at US interests, saying the strikes hit civilian and economic targets on Qatari territory.

What remains unclear is how far these statements will translate into policy changes, military coordination or a new regional framework. The officials did not announce any immediate measures, and the balance between engagement with Iran and reliance on Western partners remains unresolved. The next developments to watch are whether Gulf states move toward deeper collective defence planning and whether diplomatic contacts with Tehran become more structured.

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