The United Arab Emirates has emerged as the most hawkish of the Gulf states lobbying the Trump administration on the Iran war, privately pressing Washington to order a ground invasion, according to reporting by the Associated Press and PBS [1].

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and the UAE are all privately urging Trump to continue military operations until Iran is "decisively defeated," per diplomatic sources cited by multiple outlets [2]. But the UAE has taken the hardest line. Having absorbed more than 2,300 Iranian attacks since the February 28 start of hostilities -- including drone strikes on oil infrastructure and missile barrages targeting Abu Dhabi -- Emirati officials argue that anything short of regime change will leave them permanently vulnerable [3].

The Gulf coalition is not monolithic. Oman and Qatar favor diplomatic resolution, with Oman maintaining its traditional back-channel role with Tehran. Saudi officials have reportedly told American counterparts that ending the war now would not deliver a "good deal," stopping short of explicitly endorsing invasion [1].

Iran has warned that any country from which a ground invasion is launched will face severe retaliation, a threat that Middle East Eye reported is being taken seriously by regional capitals [3]. The prospect of a ground campaign remains deeply controversial in Washington, where military planners have warned of the logistical and strategic risks of a land war in Iran.

-- Priya Sharma, Dubai