What are the reasons for Iran to attack the Gulf Countries and not only Israel and the US bases?

By Elijah J. Magnier

The war on Iran is agreed by a large part of the international community to be unlawful and driven primarily by Israel and its agenda. Nevertheless, the same international actors are asking Iran to exercise restraint and to stop attacking Gulf countries’ energy infrastructure, actions described as illegal and unacceptable. For Iran, this selective application of law exposes a deep contradiction. International law, from Tehran’s perspective, appears to apply only to its actions, while being ignored when it comes to the actions of others and the essence of the ongoing war.

Iran points to the widespread targeting it has endured: its energy infrastructure, civilian facilities, police barracks, customs centres, hospitals, schools, residential complexes, and individuals have all been struck. Its commercial harbour on the Caspian Sea has been attacked, alongside other military and strategic objectives. The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, said there are “reasonable grounds” to believe both sides may have committed war crimes by attacking energy infrastructure. He urged Iran to stop attacking neighbours (Gulf states) who “were never parties to the conflict” and called for an end to all assaults on energy sites. He did not single out only Iran’s actions as war crimes or remain silent on the other side.

This asymmetry reinforces Iran’s belief that it is being judged by a different standard, in particular when the attacking forces, departing from the Gulf and Arab countries, are destroying the wealth of the state and not the elements that support the current ruling system.

This raises the central question: why would Iran choose to attack Gulf countries, and not limit its response to Israel and US military bases?

The answer lies in a combination of historical rivalry, geopolitical calculations, and what Iran sees, from its point of view, as indirect and direct cooperation and participation by Gulf states in the war.