Iran warns Gulf states against aiding U.S. military

Iran’s armed forces warned Gulf states on August 19, 2026, that any assistance or facilitation provided to the United States military would be considered a direct act of participation in American military operations against Tehran. The threat came hours after the United Arab Emirates announced it was severing economic ties with Iran, following accusations that Tehran fired ballistic missiles at vessels off its coast.

In a statement, Iran’s newly appointed Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, General Ali Abdollahi, said Iran was closely monitoring regional military activity and that Gulf countries on the southern shores of the Persian Gulf “should know that nothing is hidden from our eyes.” He asserted it was unlikely that large numbers of military aircraft, particularly refueling planes, could be stationed at regional bases without the host countries’ knowledge. “We warn that any assistance or facilitation to the aggressive U.S. army is tantamount to participation with U.S. military forces,” Abdollahi stated, according to the Mehr news agency.

The warning escalates tensions in a region already strained by a months-long conflict between the U.S. and Iran, which began with strikes...