Gulf states targeted by Iran retaliation despite refusing US base access for strikes

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Turkey, and Oman all publicly stated before Feb. 28 that they would not permit the United States to use their territory or airspace to launch strikes on Iran. An Arab Gulf diplomat told reporters that regional leaders warned a conflict could cause a severe spike in oil prices and destabilize the entire region.

Saudi Crown Prince MBMohammed bin Salman publicly called Iranian President MPMasoud Pezeshkian to assure him that Saudi Arabia wouldn't allow its airspace to be used for an attack on Iran. But the 🌲Washington Post reported on Feb. 28, 2026, citing four people familiar with the matter, that MBS also made multiple private phone calls to Trump over the preceding month urging a US strike — despite his public support for diplomacy. Saudi Defense Minister KBKhalid bin Salman separately told Washington think-tank experts in a closed-door briefing that Trump should take military action. Riyadh was playing two sides simultaneously.

Fox News and the Wall Street Journal both reported before the strikes that Gulf allies had blocked the US from using their bases and airspace over fears of Iranian retaliation. The reports were confirmed by events: the US launched the operation from aircraft carriers and from Israel instead.

The US deployed 14 air-refueling tankers to Ben Gurion Airport in Israel and positioned USS Gerald R. Ford off the Israeli coast on Feb. 27. This gave US carrier aircraft enough range to reach Iranian targets without needing to depart from Gulf bases. It was the first time the US deployed offensive weaponry — F-22 fighter jets — to Ovda Airbase inside Israel.

Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar hosts the largest US military installation in the Middle East, with thousands of American troops and Central Command forward headquarters. Qatar's government had separately been engaged in diplomatic efforts to prevent war, including direct communication with both Tehran and 🌲Washington.

When Iran retaliated on Feb. 28, it struck US military bases across the region: Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE, and the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. Iran's National Security Council chief ALAli Larijani said Tehran had warned 🌲Washington through the Swiss embassy that if the US struck, Iran would hit its bases. Larijani stated that Iran viewed those installations as American targets — not the territory of the host nations. Iran hit those countries because US forces were stationed there, not because of those countries' access-refusal decisions.

The UAE reported three foreign nationals killed and 58 injured from Iranian missile and drone attacks on March 1. Dubai International Airport — the world's busiest international airport — suspended all flights indefinitely. Qatar closed its airspace entirely, grounding Qatar Airways and disrupting global flight routes already rerouted around Russian-occupied Ukrainian airspace.

Turkey, a NATO member that hosts the Incirlik Air Base used by the US military, also publicly opposed the strikes and offered to mediate negotiations. Turkish President RTRecep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Israel for starting hostilities. Turkey's refusal to allow base access created a rare instance of a NATO member actively distancing itself from a US military operation.