WANA  (Jul 01) – One of the key aspects of the 12-day war between Tehran and Tel Aviv was the significant diplomatic maneuvering of Arab countries. Despite their longstanding rivalry with Iran in the region, they do not want Israel to decisively defeat Iran. Their stance has several clear reasons:

 

1. If Netanyahu emerges victorious from a war with Tehran, he will become the region’s dominant hegemon.

 

2. The idea of a Palestinian state would be permanently buried with Iran’s defeat, and Israel would then move to neutralize the Palestinian Authority.

 

3. An Israeli victory over Tehran would embolden it to escalate plans for annexing the West Bank and occupying Gaza.

 

4. Iran’s defeat would leave many Arab states vulnerable to U.S. pressure and incentives to normalize relations with Tel Aviv.

 

5. The collapse of the “Axis of Resistance” would remove the last meaningful obstacle to Israel’s ambitions, allowing Tel Aviv to reshape the region’s geopolitics—from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean—in line with maximalist “Greater Israel” goals.

 

6. Iran’s network of allies, from Hezbollah in Lebanon to Ansarullah in Yemen, has served as a counterweight to U.S. and Israeli plans—something Arab states have now come to appreciate.

 

7. Most importantly, the Persian Gulf states would lose their strategic relevance. If Iran is neutralized, Washington would no longer need the Saudis, Emiratis, or Qataris to contain Tehran.

People attend a gathering to support Iran’s Armed Forces following the ceasefire between Iran and Israel, in Tehran, Iran, June 24, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)