Mar.05

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Which Countries Are Involved in the War in the Middle East?

The so-called "war in Iran" isn't actually a war in Iran. At least, it's not a war JUST in Iran. It involves an increasing number of countries in the Middle East, and keeps expanding. Here is a list of the countries involved—so far. Some are belligerents and some are simply targets that are absorbing attacks and not shooting back:

• The United States: Donald Trump ignited the war by ordering massive bombings of Iran. The bombings are aimed at Iran's nuclear program, its missile arsenal, and much more. It is (probably) also intended to force regime change.
  
  
• Israel: Strikes from Israeli planes killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and dozens of senior Iranian officials. What Israel brings to the mix is a lot of intelligence as well as a battle-hardened military that is the best in the region. Israel, more than any of the countries in the mix, really wants to neutralize Iran and destroy its military capabilities.
  
  
• Saudi Arabia: This is the United States' biggest ally in the region, with a large and powerful air force with modern American equipment. Saudi Arabia has a big beef with Iran and would love to see its rival turned into a giant pile of rubble. The U.S. has several bases in the country and they were attacked by Iran on the second day of the war. Iran also hit one of the biggest oil refineries in the world, at Ras Tanura. The Saudis are not amused and since they have quite a bit of their own firepower, might just decide to join in on the war to teach Iran a lesson.
  
  
• U.A.E.: The Emirates are a close U.S. ally in the region, mostly out of fear that some day Iran would attack them. They hoped the U.S. would protect Dubai, a modern, gleaming city of 4 million people, as well as Abu Dhabi. Those fears were fully justified; the hopes, not so much. The Emirates have been a main target, absorbing 800 missiles already, with surely more to come. They have caused some damage to civilian targets.
  
  
• Qatar: Qatar is about as Finlandized as a country in the Middle East can be. It is tiny—about the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined. It is close to iran and doesn't want to be destroyed by it. Therefore, it maintains "good" relations with Iran, but would be pleased as punch if the U.S. and Israel sent Iran back to the stone age. When Qatar gave Donald Trump a $400 million gilded airplane as a gift, that was probably an incentive for Trump to think about its security if push came to shove. It has a small air force and shot down two elderly Iranian Su-24 fighter jets.
  
  
• Kuwait: This unfortunate country always seems to be attacked by someone—first Saddam Hussein, now Iran. It is naturally very nervous and accidentally shot down three American fighters in the fog of war. The crews ejected and are in the hospital.
  
  
• Bahrain: The U.S. has a major naval base in Bahrain, the headquarters for the Navy's Fifth Fleet. Bahrain has been attacked by Iranian drones.
  
  
• Oman: The U.S. also has a Navy base in Oman. Iran attacked the base early on. If you look closely on the map, Oman's territory is weird, with exclaves and enclaves. Part of it is right on the horn of Africa. Oman was involved in the talks between Iran and the U.S., but is now a target.
  
  
• Jordan: The U.S. has military installations in Jordan, and Iran hit them with missiles. Although Jordan is a U.S. ally and is at peace with Israel, it is unlikely to join in the fighting.
  
  
• Lebanon: Hezbollah, which is funded and controlled by Iran, fired missiles and drones at Israel from Lebanon. Israel responded with heavy air strikes and an incursion into southern Lebanon. Iran's idea here is to open a second front and force Israel to deploy resources to defend itself.
  
  
• Iraq: Iran hit the part of Iraq where many Kurds live. The Kurds are generally seen as pro-U.S. Iran has also hit multiple U.S. bases in Iraq and has had its supporters storm the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.
  
  
• Cyprus: Iranian drones hit the British Royal Air Force base on Cyprus. The strikes may have come from Hezbollah. Strikes on British assets could draw the U.K. and maybe the E.U. into the conflict.
  
  
• The United Kingdom: Yup, after the hit on the U.K. bases, British PM Keir Starmer authorized the U.S. to use its air bases in the region. He also sent a Royal Navy destroyer and anti-drone helicopters to the Middle East. Nevertheless, Trump is not pleased with Starmer because the latter has not applauded the U.S. strikes loudly enough. Trump said: "I'm not happy with the U.K. This is not Winston Churchill that we're dealing with." Starmer was too polite to observe that it's not Franklin Delano Roosevelt that HE's dealing with.
  
  
• The European Union: France and Germany initially called for diplomacy, but after Iranian strikes hit their personnel, they are edging toward joining in the fighting.
  
  
• Turkey: NATO air defenses shot down an Iranian ballistic missile heading toward Turkey. If Iran targets Turkey, that would bring in another large country with a substantial military. It would also bring the U.S. and Turkey closer, despite previous strains. Turkey is a member of NATO.

The U.S. is doing the brunt of the fighting and has hit 2,000 targets in Iran and sunk 20 Iranian warships. The U.S. and Israeli air forces have almost complete control of the skies now and will soon be dropping 500- and 2000-pound bombs on targets deep in Iran. Nevertheless, supplies are finite and military leaders are having to think carefully about which targets are the priority. Secretary of Defense War Pete Hegseth probably wants to target the locations where DEI is most rampant, but the generals probably have other ideas. Getting new supplies requires Congress to pass a bill appropriating the funds (unless Trump can move around DoD money already appropriated for something else), placing an order, and having the suppliers get to work. None of this happens quickly. However, as Iranian defenses are degraded, U.S. planes can get in closer to their targets and use older, smaller, and less accurate bombs. (V)