Gulf allies privately press Trump to step up offensive against Iran

U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf believe that the current military campaign against Iran has not been enough to weaken its leadership, so they do not support ending the conflict at this point. So says areport by The Associated Press based on private conversations between officials in the region.

According to that report, representatives from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain believe it is necessary to keep up the pressure until broader changes in Iran's behavior are achieved.

In particular, the United Arab Emirates would be pushing for a tougher stance and even pushing for President Donald Trump to consider sending troops on the ground.

No fully unified stance

While Gulf countries support the current campaign, not all are in complete agreement on strategy. The same report notes that there are internal differences on how the conflict should move forward.

For example, Saudi Arabia would have posited that ending the war now would not guarantee a "good deal," i.e., one that ensures the protection of neighboring countries from Iran.