Even as Iran expands attacks across the Persian Gulf, several of the countries directly targeted are still refusing to join the fight against Iran, opting instead for restraint and diplomacy. Gulf governments say their priority is defending their territory while preventing a wider conflict that could destabilize the region and global energy markets.

When asked by Fox News White House senior correspondent Peter Doocy about Iran’s strikes on Gulf states Monday, Donald Trump said experts had not anticipated Tehran would target neighboring countries.

«Nobody. Nobody. The greatest experts — nobody thought they were going to hit,» Trump said when Doocy asked about Iranian attacks targeting Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait.

TRUMP SEEKS WARSHIPS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES TO HELP SECURE STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Tehran widened the conflict after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian oil facilities earlier this month, expanding retaliation to Gulf energy infrastructure and shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.

Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) recorded at least 25 Iranian attacks against shipping in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz since Feb. 28, as well as strikes targeting energy infrastructure across several Gulf states.

«Tehran targeted Gulf energy infrastructure and shipping in the Strait of Hormuz seeking to raise the costs of the war for the U.S. and its regional partners,» said Luca Nevola, ACLED’s senior analyst for Yemen and the Gulf.

Jacob Olidort, chief research officer at the America First Policy Institute, told Fox News Digital that, «Since Operation Epic Fury began, our Gulf partners have responded with an unprecedented unified front against threats posed by the Iranian regime,» he said, adding that their actions have focused on stopping attacks rather than expanding the war. «This reflects not just a desire to stabilize the region but also a recognition that the U.S. military’s success is what makes that possible.»

Foreign workers look at a tall plume of black smoke ascends following an explosion in the Fujairah industrial zone on March 3, 2026. Iran’s strikes on Gulf neighbors since February 28, following the U.S.-Israeli attack, forced the UAE to shut its airspace, blindsiding travelers who thought they were headed to one of the region’s safest holiday destinations. (Fadel Senna / AFP via Getty Images)

Salman Al-Ansari, a Saudi geopolitical researcher, told Fox News Digital that Riyadh is focusing on maintaining global market stability. «Riyadh is exercising maximum restraint at the moment, but the real question is how long that restraint can last,» Al-Ansari said.

Al-Ansari pointed to a long-standing Saudi strategic philosophy. «Over a hundred years ago, the founder of Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz Al Saud, said: ‘The living do not fight the dead.’ Perhaps Riyadh is following this doctrine, at least until further developments unfold,» he said.

Qatar has taken a similar approach. «The State of Qatar’s policies always seek to de-escalate conflicts,» a Qatari official told Fox News Digital. «Qatar is not a party to this war, and we strongly believe that the violence must end through negotiations. At the same time. Qatar continues to defend its country and sovereignty following the Iranian attacks.»

IRAN WAR, 11 DAYS IN: US CONTROLS SKIES, OIL SURGES AND THE REGION BRACES FOR WHAT’S NEXT

Firefighters work in Muharraq, Bahrain, after reported Iranian strikes triggered a fire at fuel tanks near the airport, on Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Bahrain Information Ministry/Reuters)

Another factor shaping Gulf restraint is a regional policy of refusing to allow their territory to be used for attacks on Iran. Some U.S. military experts say the Gulf’s hesitation is also tied to long-standing concerns about Washington’s reliability in the region.

Vice Adm. Robert S. Harward, a former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, told Fox News Digital that inconsistent U.S. policies have eroded trust among Gulf partners. «Our policies in the Middle East have been more cyclical than a revolving door,» Harward said. «We have failed to earn the trust and confidence of our Gulf partners over the last decade and a half. And that lack of trust and confidence has only exacerbated the threat from Iran to the region.»

The now retired vice admiral said Gulf governments are weighing the risks of escalation carefully. «As these countries consider whether to go on the offensive, they are worried about what happens when we leave,» he said. «Admittedly, these countries are challenged to defend themselves against a country of 90 million without us.»

Regional analysts say Gulf leaders are concerned that if even one country joins the fighting, the conflict could quickly engulf the region.

Abdullah Aljunaid, a Bahraini analyst, told Fox News Digital that if one member of the Gulf Cooperation Council enters the war, it could drag the entire bloc with it. «If any member of the GCC decided to join this offensive, it would obligate the rest of the GCC countries to join at the same time,» Aljunaid said.

The consequences could extend far beyond the battlefield. «You could imagine what the oil prices would be. We are definitely talking about north of $150 per barrel,» he claimed.

HEGSETH BLASTS BRITS, SAYS IRAN’S CHAOTIC RETALIATION HAS DRIVEN ITS OWN ALLIES ‘INTO THE AMERICAN ORBIT’

Iranian flags fly as fire and smoke from an Israeli attack on Sharan Oil depot rise, following Israeli strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 15, 2025. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)

Aljunaid said Gulf leaders are also wary of open-ended military campaigns in the region. «Past experiences show that every time military action is initiated in the region, it never ends according to what was promised,» he said.

Instead, he said Gulf countries are focusing on defensive measures while quietly supporting diplomatic channels, including mediation efforts through Oman.

Lt. Gen. Richard Y. Newton III said Iran made a major strategic mistake by striking Gulf countries. «Iran made a strategic blunder by striking Gulf nations – our allies and friends – with ballistic missiles and drone attacks,» Newton told Fox News Digital.

The retired Air Force commander warned that attacks on key infrastructure such as oil fields or desalination plants could push Gulf states toward a more aggressive response.

«I’m inclined to believe there may potentially be one or two nations in the region inclined to join with the U.S. by going offensive against Iran,» Newton said. «That is certainly within the realm of possibility in the coming weeks.»

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An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps speedboat sails in the Persian Gulf during an IRGC marine parade marking Persian Gulf National Day near the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Bushehr, Iran, on April 29, 2024. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Newton added that the long-term objective for the U.S. and its partners should be preventing Iran from threatening regional stability and global shipping routes. «That includes achieving maritime dominance in the Persian Gulf and setting the conditions for safe passage for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,» he said.

For now, however, Gulf leaders appear determined to contain the conflict rather than escalate it, even as Iranian strikes have already reached their territory.

The UAE did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Trump Department of Homeland Security has requested that Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger and officials in immigrant-friendly Fairfax County not release an adult illegal alien charged with groping several high school girls on school grounds.

Illegal alien Israel Flores Ortiz, 19, is facing nine counts of assault and battery for groping girls at a Fairfax County high school he was attending. Victims and parents have alleged that Ortiz approached about 12 girls from behind in crowded hallways, grabbed them between the legs, and groped their private areas, according to 7News.

The outlet reported that parents said the incidents have occurred throughout the school year. Ortiz attends the school and is in the eleventh grade, per 7News.

According to DHS, Ortiz illegally entered the U.S. in 2024 and was released into the country by the Biden administration.

ANGEL MOM WHOSE 13-YEAR-OLD SON WAS EXECUTED BY ILLEGAL GANG MEMBER URGES INCOMING DHS CHIEF TO ACT

He is currently being held without bond in the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, which is operated by the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, led by Sheriff Stacey Kincaid. 

According to the sheriff’s office website, the office does not honor ICE administrative detainers — requests to hold inmates — unless the detainer is accompanied by a criminal judicial order.

Further, as governor, Spanberger has rolled back state policies mandating cooperation with ICE. Spanberger has said that «when state and local law enforcement are pulled away from upholding our Virginia laws to do the job of federal agents, it weakens their ability to deepen trust — contributing to a culture of fear and distrust that makes it harder for officers to do their jobs.» 

In a later executive order, Spanberger added that Virginia law enforcement efforts «focus on upholding the rule of law, investigating and stopping criminal conduct, and protecting public safety, not the administrative enforcement of civil status.»

DHS NABS AFGHAN MAN ADMITTED UNDER BIDEN AFTER CONVICTION FOR EXPOSING HIMSELF TO MINOR

A Fairfax County school bus. (Getty)

In a Monday statement, DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said that the agency is «calling on Fairfax County sanctuary politicians to NOT release this predator from jail back into our communities to assault more teenage women.»

Bis slammed Spanberger for ending former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s policy of cooperation with ICE, saying it is «siding with criminal illegal aliens over American citizens.»

«This 19-year-old criminal illegal alien should NOT have been attending a Virginia high school and allowed to prey on innocent teenage girls,» Bis said, adding, «This is yet another example of the Biden Administration’s failed open border policies.»

In response, Allyson Conroy, a spokesperson for the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, told Fox News Digital that Ortiz currently «remains in the custody of the Sheriff’s Office in the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.» 

Conroy said that «while it is still too early in the process to know the outcome of his case, ICE has been notified of Ortiz’s location at the ADC» and «they are able to execute their detainer by responding to the ADC and taking Ortiz into custody if and when he is ordered released.»

Conroy emphasized that the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office «does not obstruct or prevent ICE from acting on their civil detainers.»

Meanwhile, Stephanie Lundquist-Arora, a mother of three students in the Fairfax County School System, told Fox News that «this entire horrifying situation is the direct consequence of policy with really dysfunctional priorities,» which she said are attempting to «shield adult illegal immigrants at the expense of children’s safety, even in their public schools.»

ICE BUSTS HUMAN SMUGGLING RING THAT KIDNAPPED FAMILY, SEXUALLY ASSAULTED PREGNANT WOMAN

Fairfax County, Virginia, Adult Detention Center. (Fairfax County)

Lundquist-Arora claimed officials at the high school waited two weeks to inform parents, and that the move only came after parental pressure.

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In an emailed statement, Fairfax County Public Schools said that while it is «unable to comment on specifics due to federal and state privacy laws, we prioritize student and staff safety and we fully investigate any time someone shares that an incident has occurred at school, or that they do not feel safe at school.»

The public school system added that it is «grateful to our law enforcement partners who continue to work swiftly and thoroughly when there are safety concerns in our schools» and that the «safety of all FCPS students and staff remains a top priority.»

Spanberger’s office and the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Taylor Penley contributed to this report.

El traspaso de Marcelo al Real Madrid en 2007 no solo marcó el inicio de una de las carreras más exitosas de un lateral izquierdo en la historia del fútbol europeo, sino que también representó un reto de magnitud para el joven brasileño. Con apenas 18 años, el brasileño llegó desde el Fluminense con la responsabilidad de ocupar el puesto que dejó vacante uno de los mayores referentes de la posición: Roberto Carlos.

La exigencia de suceder a una figura tan destacada era inusual para un futbolista tan joven. “Tener que jugar bajo la presión de ser el nuevo Roberto Carlos, quien además era mi referente, hizo que unirme al Real Madrid fuera aún más difícil”, confesó el propio Marcelo al recordar sus primeros días en una entrevista reciente con FourFourTwo, la revista británica especializada en fútbol.

Marcelo arriba en enero de 2007 cuando el club buscaba consolidar su dominio en el fútbol español y europeo. Ya se habían acordado todos los detalles previos a su llegada: “Un director del Real Madrid se puso en contacto con Fluminense. Al principio no lo creía, porque era la época de los Galácticos del club. Me tomó totalmente por sorpresa, pero cuando llega una oportunidad así, es imposible decir que no”, relató Marcelo a FourFourTwo.

Su llegada fue un proceso cuidadosamente organizado. “Desde el principio me trataron de forma excepcional. Viajé a Madrid solo para conocer las instalaciones, pero el club ya tenía todo listo: el contrato, las condiciones e incluso el traje para la presentación”, describió sobre sus primeras impresiones.

La presión de ser reemplazo de Roberto Carlos gravitó sobre él durante sus primeros meses en España. “Esa etiqueta me pesó mucho durante un tiempo. Sin el apoyo de mi familia, habría sido imposible triunfar en el Real Madrid. Llegar al mejor club del mundo siendo tan joven ya era difícil, pero tener que jugar bajo la presión de ser el nuevo Roberto Carlos, quien además era mi referente, lo hizo aún más complicado”, confesó.

Roberto Carlos, quien defendió la camiseta blanca durante once temporadas y conquistó cuatro títulos de La Liga y tres Champions League, redefinió el rol del lateral izquierdo. Su legado convirtió la posición en una de enorme exigencia para cualquier sucesor. Marcelo, plenamente consciente de ese peso, intentó desde el principio trazar su propia trayectoria: “Intenté mantener la calma y dejé claro que quería escribir mi propia historia. Solo quería ser Marcelo, no el sucesor de nadie”.

La adaptación no fue sencilla. En sus primeras campañas, Marcelo debió superar dudas sobre su rendimiento y aprender bajo la dirección de entrenadores exigentes que implementaron un sistema táctico riguroso.

“El Real Madrid me ayudó en todos los sentidos, porque los primeros años no fueron nada fáciles. Entrenaba, pero no tenía muchos minutos. Eso me preocupaba, porque me faltaba entendimiento táctico. Fabio Capello era muy estricto en ese aspecto: un entrenador defensivo que usaba un clásico 4-4-2. Todos teníamos instrucciones claras. Si subía al ataque, no podía descuidar mis responsabilidades defensivas”, explicó el brasileño.

En su formación en Brasil, Marcelo se desarrolló bajo principios futbolísticos orientados al ataque y la creatividad. Al llegar a España, tuvo que readaptarse para responder a las demandas de un fútbol mucho más táctico y disciplinado. “Nunca dudé de mi capacidad para ofrecer algo diferente en el campo, pero fue clave entender las nuevas exigencias”, señaló.

La presión mediática y el escrutinio de la afición se intensificaban con cada partido. Los primeros meses en Madrid estuvieron marcados por comparaciones incesantes con Roberto Carlos, considerado por muchos como el mejor lateral izquierdo de la historia. Marcelo ratificó: “Roberto Carlos es el mejor lateral izquierdo de la historia, sin discusión. Somos diferentes, pero él tenía todo: más allá de defender, podía golpear el balón extraordinariamente bien, marcó muchos goles y dio asistencias. Era más completo y no me veo ni cerca de lo que él fue. Todavía me pongo nervioso cuando está delante de mí”, afirmó, restando importancia incluso a los elogios de su compatriota, quien llegó a decir que Marcelo lo había superado.

Los propios aficionados tardaron en aceptar a Marcelo como heredero de la banda izquierda. Las críticas y las dudas persistieron hasta que se consolidó como titular en el esquema del equipo. El respaldo familiar resultó fundamental: “Sin mi familia, no habría sido posible”, reafirmó Marcelo.

Con el tiempo, Marcelo no solo cumplió con las expectativas: cinco Champions League, seis títulos de La Liga, dos de Copa del Rey, cinco Supercopas de España, tres Supercopas de Europa y cuatro Mundiales de Clubes figuran en su historial, consolidándose como uno de los jugadores más laureados en la historia del club.

La admiración entre Marcelo y Roberto Carlos es mutua, aunque el primero rechaza cualquier noción de superación respecto a quien le antecedió en el puesto. Marcelo bromeó ante las palabras de Roberto Carlos sobre su estatus: “Si él dice eso, entonces sabe menos de fútbol de lo que pensaba”.

“Intenté mantener la calma y dejé claro que quería escribir mi propia historia”, sentenció Marcelo sobre aquellos años de inicio bajo presión, la cual definió su carácter y su exitosa carrera.