The Gulf Plays Defense

Omar Rahman on the changing shape of the Middle East

The wealthy countries of the Persian Gulf have steadily become some of the United States’ closest partners, through investment, technology, and military relationships. But Israel’s assault on Gaza and US-Israeli attacks against Iran have brought turbulence to the region. Now targeted by Iran, the Gulf states find themselves stuck in the middle of a conflict they did not choose.

In this episode, the Institute for Global Affairs’ Jonathan Guyer is joined by Omar Rahman, a fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs. Together they discuss how different Gulf states are navigating the current conflict with Iran, the state of the Abraham Accords, and Trump’s Board of Peace. Omar also explains where Palestine fits into the picture and how a lack of legitimate leadership is holding Palestinian liberation back.

Omar H. Rahman is a fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, where he is the editor of Afkār, an online publication focused on Palestine, Middle East geopolitics, and US foreign policy. He previously served as a nonresident fellow at the Baker Institute for Public Policy, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Doha Center, and a research analyst at the Arab Gulf States Institute. Omar started his career in journalism, working for publications including +972 Magazine, World Politics Review, and Argus Media. His writing has been published in The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, The Guardian, and Rolling Stone, among others.

Find Omar on X: https://x.com/omarrahman

Read his recent article in Foreign Policy: https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/07/iran-united-states-gulf-uae-qatar-bahrain-saudi-oman-war/

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