Gulf States May Seek ‘De-Risk’ Deal With Iran While Retaining US Security Umbrella: Panel

After decades of intractable Mideast upheaval, Gulf states fear being abandoned by America, a Houston conference was told.

Motorists drive past a plume of smoke rising from a reported Iranian strike in the industrial district of Doha, Qatar, on March 1, 2026. Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images

HOUSTON—Saudi Arabia and its Persian Gulf neighbors may seek to “de-risk” relations with Iran to get ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz while also staying aligned with the United States.

It is a precarious balance that offers short-term relief but poses long-term perils, a panel of veteran diplomats and military leaders suggested on March 26.