US asks trillions in 'ransom' from Persian Gulf states over Iran war: Report
The United States has asked Arab partners in the Persian Gulf to pay a staggering sum if they want the war with Iran to reach a definite conclusion, according to a senior Arab journalist.
Omani analyst Salem Al-Jahouri told the BBC Arabic on Friday that US President Donald Trump has been “exerting pressure” on Persian Gulf allies to take a larger role in the anti-Iran aggression.
“That is entirely accurate. The (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council countries are under significant pressure, both in military and economic terms,” Jahouri replied when asked about reports that the White House was pressuring Arab countries in the Persian Gulf to contribute to the war against Iran.
“We are now seeing leaks indicating that the US president is asking the (P)GCC states to hand over roughly $5 trillion if they wish to see this war carry on, and if they want it halted, they must pay $2.5 trillion to America as compensation for what has been done so far,” he said.
The coercion comes as Trump pushes for deeper participation from Persian Gulf Arab countries in the joint US-Israeli aggression against Tehran.
The (P)GCC has publicly stated its opposition to the war initiated by Israel and the US on February 28, and has denied granting the US permission to use their soil for military strikes.
However, growing evidence has surfaced showing US forces launching rockets from the soil of the Persian Gulf countries while American warplanes have used the airspace of those countries during bombing missions over Iran.
In response, Iran has struck US-related bases and other targets in the Persian Gulf states, such as oil and gas facilities linked to American companies, in retaliation for US attacks on corresponding sites inside Iran.
Iran has also imposed restrictions on transit through the Strait of Hormuz, forcing Persian Gulf countries to slash oil output and leaving them unable to ship crude through that vital corridor.
Revenue losses from energy exports and tourism have inflicted severe economic damage on the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.
A Reuters report last week said that three of the four largest Persian Gulf countries were reassessing trillions of dollars in sovereign wealth fund holdings abroad, which included $1.2 trillion previously pledged for investment in the American economy following Trump’s trip to the region in May 2025.
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