BREAKING: Gulf Nations Said Their Three Main Enemies Were Iran, Iran, and Iran;Won’t Say It In Public – Mitchell

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According to a video on CBN News, on Tuesday May 11, 2026, a striking account of private conversations between journalists and Gulf state leaders has shed light on the depth of hostility Arab nations in the region hold toward the Iranian government, with one memorable exchange revealing that when pressed to name their greatest threats, Gulf leaders identified Iran not once but three times.

CBN News Middle East bureau chief Chris Mitchell, speaking from Jerusalem, offered this firsthand account while discussing the wider regional implications of the current standoff between Iran and the United States.

His account came in response to a question about whether America’s Arab allies are hoping that the US and Israel will move decisively to eliminate the Iranian regime.

Mitchell explained that while Gulf nations are careful to maintain balanced and diplomatic public statements, the reality of how they view Iran in private is vastly different.

These countries have been on the receiving end of Iranian aggression for years, with drone attacks on oil infrastructure, proxy wars, and persistent destabilization efforts all fueling a deep and lasting resentment toward the government in Tehran.

In his words, Chris Mitchell said, “Several years ago I was in the Gulf and we met with some of the leaders of the Gulf nations, and they were saying that their three main enemies were Iran, Iran, and Iran.

“Now publicly they can be balanced in their public statements, but in a 60 Minutes interview Benjamin Netanyahu said several of these nations are growing much closer to Israel. They may not say that publicly but they are saying it privately,” he said.

Mitchell noted that the financial damage alone caused by Iran to Gulf nations has been severe, with UAE oil facilities repeatedly struck by Iranian-linked drones, cutting into the revenues of one of the region’s most important economies.