The region witnessed a notable military escalation at the end of February 2026, after the Economy and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran on February 28, despite the ongoing nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran at the time. Iran responded with retaliatory attacks targeting Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, raising concerns over a broader regional spillover of the conflict. In this context, the League of Arab States held a meeting during which it affirmed its support for the GCC countries’ right to self-defense, while calling for a ceasefire and international intervention to contain the crisis.