Middle Eastern Sunni Arab states fear being left exposed to a resurgent Iran without protection from the United States and Israel, according to Israeli defense officials. Recent large-scale Iranian missile and drone attacks have heightened concerns across the region, with countries increasingly worried they could become direct targets.

Iran has reportedly targeted not only countries that formalized ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords, such as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, but also Saudi Arabia. Security cooperation between Israel and some Arab states has taken place through United States regional coordination frameworks and, at times, through discreet intelligence contacts. Former Israeli intelligence chiefs have previously met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia had appeared close in 2023.

However, the war between Israel and Hamas and the extensive destruction in Gaza have stalled normalization efforts. Saudi Arabia has indicated it prefers to revisit the issue under different Israeli leadership and continues to insist that the Palestinian Authority, not Hamas, govern Gaza. While renewed tensions with Iran could prompt reconsideration, deep disagreements over Gaza remain a significant obstacle.