For decades, Arab regimes have painted Iran not as a fellow
Muslim state but as a sectarian rival, a destabilizing Shia power encroaching
on their Sunni domains. From Hezbollah in Lebanon to the Houthis in Yemen,
Tehran’s fingerprints unsettle Arab rulers. For them, US-led sanctions are not
injustice—these are containment.
Add to this the dependency on Washington. The Gulf
monarchies thrive on American protection, arms, and trade. To defy US diktats
is to risk the very foundations of their security. So they remain mute, even
when sanctions cripple ordinary Iranians.
These same states cry foul over Palestine, condemn Western
double standards in Gaza, and rally Muslim solidarity—only to abandon it when
it comes to Iran. The truth is simple - Arab rulers see a weakened Iran as good
for oil markets, good for their regimes, and good for their new friends in Tel
Aviv.
Sanctions on Iran are discriminatory, yes. But the bigger
betrayal is the silence of Arab leaders who claim to defend Muslim dignity yet
quietly cheer when one of their own is strangled.
