An epic feud threatens Mideast stability at a delicate moment

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/02/12/uae-saudi-arabia-trump-gulf-stability/

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the two drivers of modernization in the Middle East, should be rejoicing together these days. Iran is weak, its proxies are on the run, and an American armada approaches the Persian Gulf. But instead they have stumbled into an epic feud that could polarize the region.

When the quarrel detonated in late December, it seemed like a fight over strategy for resolving the forever war in Yemen. But it has since escalated into a social media battle in which Saudis have attacked the UAE as “Israel’s Trojan horse” and denounced the Abraham Accords, joined by the UAE in 2020, as “a political military alliance dressed in the garb of religion.”

The dispute matters because President Donald Trump has placed big bets on both countries as he seeks to transform the Middle East. Trump needs unified gulf support as he threatens military action against Iran, tries to disarm Hamas in Gaza, and seeks to help expand Israel’s ties with the fragile nations of Syria and Lebanon.