The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Saudi Arabia each condemned the attacks of 1-2 September on their neighbours1. Emirati territory was not among the places hit on 1-2 September. That distinction matters for the record, because Emirati vessels and Emirati territory have featured in this war often enough that an unqualified condemnation reads as a report of damage unless the point is made.
With Kuwait and Bahrain speaking for themselves as targets, and Abu Dhabi, Doha and Riyadh speaking as neighbours, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have all now used sovereignty language against Tehran within two days. That is a narrower diplomatic field than Iran had in August, when the same governments were arguing among themselves about whether an American strike should proceed at all. The UAE had already halted its trade and financial dealings with Iran on 18 August, and its foreign ministry had named the IRGC directly over an earlier attack, calling it piracy.
A condemnation costs a government nothing and commits it to nothing. What it does is close off the argument Tehran has run all year, that its quarrel is with Washington and Israel rather than with the Gulf states hosting them. Four Arab governments were struck in two days, and their neighbours have said so in their own names.
