In spring 2024, Iran directly attacked Israeli territory for the first time, launching more than 300 drones and missiles at its adversary. U.S., British, French, and Jordanian forces rapidly intercepted them. The message was hard to miss in Gulf capitals: when Iran attacks Israel, the U.S.-led response will be immediate and collective. But there was an uncomfortable, unspoken question left lingering: What would happen if Iran attacked the Gulf? That question has now been answered. When the United States and Israel began their war on Iran on February 28—a war that Gulf governments had lobbied against—Iran retaliated by striking Gulf Arab states’ airports, seaports, oil installations, and desalination plants. Although U.S. forces helped intercept some attacks on the Gulf Arab states, damage was done to the region’s reputation as a safe haven for global business—which, no doubt, was the Iranian regime’s intention.…