TL;DR
The UAE is privately lobbying Washington for a ground invasion of Iran after absorbing over 2,300 attacks since the war began, per AP and PBS.
MSM Perspective
AP and PBS report Gulf allies are united in wanting the war to continue but split on tactics, with UAE and Bahrain favoring invasion while Oman and Qatar prefer diplomacy.
X Perspective
Critics warn Gulf states are trying to fight Iran to the last American soldier, with the UAE's hawkishness drawing sharp backlash.
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
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