I read with interest the article “Iran’s threatening posture” (May 16) by Abdulrahman Al-Rashed. Perhaps the United States is under the wrong impression that the Gulf countries are not in a position to defend themselves from any foreign aggression or meddling in their internal matters. Policymakers in Washington and other western capitals apparently need a long way to go when it comes to understanding the Arab style of diplomacy. The Gulf leaders in fact are giving the world a chance to take appropriate measures to contain any possible situation. In case of Washington’s failure to comply with the Arab world’s demands vis-à-vis Iran’s controversial nuclear program, it goes without saying that the Arab world will then swing into action. The Saudi Arabia-led military intervention is a perfect example to prove my point.

The Gulf countries have always avoided unnecessary measures and have always kept region’s interest on top of their priority list. Iran, on the other hand, is playing a dirty game in the region. However, the action in Yemen would have served as a wake-up call to Iran.