Current sectionMiddle East NewsAnalysis An Arab official told Haaretz that Iran's strikes aim to pressure Gulf states into pushing Washington to halt its attacks – a move they say undermines their mediation effortsShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeJack Khoury03:31 PM • July 13 2026 IDTThe renewed escalation between the United States and Iran – and the spread of the conflict into the Gulf states and the Strait of Hormuz – is once again confronting the region's governments with a difficult test.Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:Iran - U.S.Middle EastCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Israel NewsIranMahmoud AhmadinejadLindsey GrahamHamasDavid ZiniRo KhannaIsrael ElectionsHaQuizHaaretz PodcastPawns or Power Brokers? Gulf States Again Seek to Sway U.S.-Iran WarFar-right MK Fast-tracks Tens of Millions for Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav MemorialKnesset Advances Highly Contentious Bill Weakening Attorney General's PowersInside the Mossad Plot to Install Ahamadinijad as Iran's LeaderIt's All in the Date: How October 7 Is Already Haunting Israel's Next ElectionRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIThe Original Tradwives of Ancient RomeThe 'Special Relationship' Is Gone, and Israel Isn't Ready for What's ComingMade in Kurdistan, Smuggled via Jordan: The Mysterious Firearms Flooding IsraelEgypt Lost the World Cup. But Was the Referee Really Jewish?Inside the German pro-Israel Lobby's Campaign to Defund UNRWARo Khanna, U.S. Lawmaker & Israel Critic, Says West Bank Settlers 'Detained' Him