Letters | What explains Arab monarchies’ muted response to Israel’s actions?

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The escalating war in West Asia shows Israel’s dominance in the region. Iran and its proxies may have wanted to fight a limited war. But in the last two weeks, Israel has escalated the conflict by using intense firepower on Hezbollah. Israel not only killed the group’s top and middle commanders but also bombed multiple targets, including civilian areas, in Lebanon to prepare for a ground attack.

On October 1, Iran launched a missile attack on Israel. However, by and large, for Iran, the calculation has been to exercise strategic patience and gauge the potential for direct US involvement in the war. The fear of direct attacks from Israel, especially on Iran’s nuclear facilities, looms large; Iran cannot afford to lose them. In light of Iran’s economic problems, its national interests do not lie in escalation or direct confrontation with Israel.

For Arab monarchies in general, standing with Hezbollah, the Houthis and Hamas – groups considered to be the product of revolutionary forces aligned with Iran – is not in their national interests. Arab monarchies consider these groups threats to their rule.