Several Gulf states are privately urging President Donald Trump to press forward with the military campaign against Iran, viewing the conflict as a rare chance to weaken or transform Tehran's clerical leadership. Although some of these governments initially complained that they were not adequately warned about the joint United States and Israel strike and feared severe regional fallout, their stance has shifted as the war unfolds.

Officials from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain have conveyed in private discussions that they do not want the operation to conclude without meaningful changes in Iran's leadership or a significant alteration in its regional behavior. Speaking anonymously, they indicated that these governments see the current moment as a historic opportunity to curb Iran's influence and reshape the balance of power in the region.