The White House indicated on Monday that Donald Trump was at least in principle favorable to Arab countries participating in the war against Iran. When asked at a press conference about the idea of sharing the bill with Arab states, spokesperson Karoline Leavitt responded that it was “something the president would rather be interested in doing”, without announcing a specific mechanism or naming countries.
This development is significant as it shifts the debate towards the political and strategic financing of the conflict. According to reports from the press conference, Karoline Leavitt did not confirm that a formal request had already been made to Arab capitals, but hinted that Donald Trump could publicly revisit this issue. The idea, at this stage, remains at the level of an option being considered by the American presidency.
This position comes as the Trump administration continues to combine diplomatic overtures with military threats against Tehran. On the same day, Donald Trump stated that “serious discussions” were ongoing with a “new, more reasonable Iranian regime”, while also threatening to strike the Iranian energy infrastructure massively if no agreement was reached quickly and if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened.
The question of Arab contributions also harks back to a well-known historical precedent in Washington: the Gulf War of 1990-1991, where a significant portion of the cost was offset by regional allies, including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. This reminder served as the basis for the question posed to Karoline Leavitt during the briefing, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
At this point, no public commitments from Arab countries have been announced. The positions of Gulf monarchies remain complex: several regional partners of the United States support a tough line against Iran but also have concerns about the economic, security, and energy consequences of a prolonged war. Recent reports show that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are urging Washington not to rush into an agreement with Tehran, while remaining vigilant about the risk of escalation in the Gulf.
In the immediate term, the White House’s statement adds a new dimension to the Iranian issue: after diplomacy, threats on Hormuz, and ultimatums on oil infrastructure, the question of war financing now enters the American public debate. It remains to be seen whether Donald Trump will turn this idea into a concrete request to Arab capitals, or if it is currently a political signal sent in a context of maximum pressure on Tehran.
