TEHRAN – The Israeli fighter jets that violated Saudi Arabia’s airspace on Tuesday and rained missiles on residential buildings in the Qatari capital of Doha was a reminder of how brazen the Israeli regime has got in the past two years. It also highlighted the fact that no country in the region can insulate itself from the regime's violence, even if, like Qatar, it hosts the largest regional American base, gifted the U.S. President a $400 million aircraft, and has poured billions of dollars into the U.S. economy over the years.

These are facts Iranians have repeatedly emphasized over the past two years: that Israel seeks domination, and that it believes no country in West Asia should have the right to sovereignty. However, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed Al Thani may have only truly grasped this reality as he attended a UN Security Council session the day after the attack. There, he listened to Israel's representative threaten another strike on Qatar if it didn't expel members of Hamas, the Palestinian Resistance group whose political wing resides in Doha and which has been the primary military force fighting Israelis in Gaza since the outbreak of war in October 2023. The Israeli strikes in Doha failed to assassinate the group's political leaders, who were reportedly not in the targeted buildings at the time of the attack.

Al Thani smirked bitterly and fidgeted in anger as the Zionist representative threatened not only Qatar, but also "any country" in the region choosing to establish ties with Palestinian groups. The Arab official appeared calmer later, as he joined President Donald Trump, along with his foreign secretary and vice president, for dinner. The day Doha was struck Trump expressed his displeasure with the Israeli aggression and claimed he was unaware of the impending attack; assertions he likely reiterated during the dinner with Qatar’s Prime Minister. But whether the Qataris choose to believe the U.S. President makes little difference, according to Amir Ali Abolfath, an expert on North American affairs.

“There are two possible scenarios: either the U.S. knew of Israel's planned attack on Qatar and approved it, or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu didn't feel the need to inform the Americans, knowing Washington would support his actions regardless,” Abolfath explained. “In either case, the message received by Arab allies of the U.S. is that their alliance with Washington does not protect them from Israel.”

Whether through complicity or impotence, it is now widely believed that American politicians' relationship with Israel will ultimately cost the United States in its relations with the Arab world, especially with wealthy Persian Gulf states that create jobs for Americans through their investments and purchase billions of dollars’ worth of weapons from U.S. manufacturers each year. “Arabs are not going to make dramatic decisions regarding their ties with Washington, but they will now look to solidify relations with U.S. rivals, particularly China, to ensure their long-term security. This won't happen overnight, but will likely unfold in the coming years,” the expert stated. 

There are, however, concerns that the rapid pace of developments in the region will outstrip the ability of Arab nations to forge new security guarantees. Over the past two years, Israel has attacked seven countries, occupied new territories in Syria and Lebanon, and ruled to integrate the West Bank. These actions have resulted in the deaths of at least 60,000 Palestinians, over 1,000 Iranians, around 6,000 Lebanese, and hundreds of others in the region. 

An upcoming Arab-Islamic summit in Doha is widely hoped to become the first step in producing a plan that would prevent further Israeli violence. Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani took to X on Saturday to warn Muslim states that another session filled only with “speeches and condemnations” will no longer cut it. 

“Without practical results (as is the case with Security Council meetings) is in fact equivalent to issuing a permit for the Zionist entity to carry out more attacks!” the veteran statesman wrote. “Since you have done nothing for the starving and oppressed Muslims in Palestine, at least make a modest decision to avoid your own annihilation!”

Larijani urged regional rulers to “at least form a joint operations committee” to confront Israel. 

Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, Iran has repeatedly urged regional countries to sever economic, diplomatic, and political ties with Israel. The Leader of the Islamic Revolution has stated that even a temporary suspension of relations would compel the Israeli regime to alter its behavior. In remarks to the Tehran Times, Khaled Qadomi, the Hamas representative in Iran, stated that this time, more than just Gaza and Palestine are at stake: “The dignity and honor of Arabs is on the line.”

Qadomi elaborated, "Nobody expects Arab states to take military action against Israel, though threatening of having all options on the table may be of high value. Still, there are important less costly steps they can take which would pressure the Israelis and prove to be effective." His vision is similar to Iranian suggestions: "The least regional countries can do is recall their ambassadors from the occupied territories. Boycotting the regime economically and politically are some of the other actions that can be taken."

The Hamas representative warned that without firm and definitive actions, any country participating in the upcoming summit could become Israel's next target, adding, "The International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Netanyahu a war criminal over a year ago, but no action has been taken, practically the genocide is still been perpetrated by him and his army."

Arab countries, in fact, have a history of employing non-military tactics against Israel, Qdomi pointed out. Following the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) imposed an oil embargo on the United States, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom in response to their support of Israel. This action triggered an oil crisis in the West, leading to economic decline and recession. Although long-term changes in Western policies toward West Asia were limited, the unified decision made by Arab nations that year demonstrated their capacity to influence Israel and its patrons through non-military means, even when facing a military disadvantage.