Iran war puts Oman and other Gulf allies in a difficult spot

NPR | By Aya Batrawy

Published August 18, 2026 at 4:34 PM EDT

The Iran war is putting Gulf countries in a bind. They want the U.S. as a security partner, but they also have to live with Iran as a neighbor.

Aya Batrawy

Aya Batraway is an NPR International Correspondent based in Dubai.

WEKU depends on support from those who view and listen to our content. There's no paywall here. Please support WEKU with your donation.

Contribute now

Related Content

Group uncovers history by exploring sunken slave ships

Amara Evering

Divers in Florida are seeking sunken slave ships for connections to history.
An iconic mail-order music and video company is shutting down

Christopher Intagliata, Mia Venkat

The long-running mail-order business Columbia House, which became famous for its record and CD clubs before focusing on DVDs, has announced it'll take its final orders next month.
What to watch for in the Florida primaries

Catherine Welch

Voters in Florida are picking their party's candidates for governor, Senate and a number of U.S. House seats after redistricting.
Vaccination rates fall as more parents opt out

Rob Stein

More parents are getting exemptions for their kids so they don't have to get vaccinated for kindergarten, and fewer kids are getting their shots. That's according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This comes as the Trump administration is trying to reduce the number of vaccinations children get, and childhood diseases like measles are resurging.
NPR News

Canadian tariff deadline looms as two sides continue to negotiate

Emily Feng

The U.S. is scheduled to impose more tariffs on Canada, hitting about $20 billion dollars worth of goods, as trade negotiations between the two neighboring countries hit an impasse.