According to a video posted on CBN News, on Friday June 26, 2026, Paul Strand explained to CBN anchor George Thomas that many people mistakenly assume Arab nations and Iran share common ground simply because of a shared religion, when in reality, Arab states have long been wary of Iran’s regional ambitions.
Strand offered this explanation while addressing concerns about how Arab Gulf states have reacted to the ongoing US-Iran peace negotiations.
Strand said the assumption that religious identity automatically creates unity among Middle Eastern nations overlooks a long history of mistrust between Arab governments and Tehran.
He explained that Arab states have consistently worried that Iran seeks to dominate the broader region, a concern that predates the most recent conflict.
In his words, Paul Strand said, “Yeah, I think that’s something that people think because they’re all Muslims that they all must be together. But for a long time, the Arabs have been very worried about the Iranians.
“They’ve always thought that the Iranians want to basically take control of the entire region, and they’re afraid.”
Strand pointed to recent events as reinforcing this fear, noting that during the latest war, it was Iran, not Israel, that repeatedly struck Arab nations with bombs.
He said this direct experience has heightened concern among Gulf states that the United States may be focusing too narrowly on Israeli-Iranian tensions while overlooking the wider threat posed by Iranian ballistic missiles, many of which struck Arab nations more frequently than Israel during the conflict.
Strand suggested this is why Gulf states were closely monitoring talks in Bahrain, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Gulf Cooperation Council ministers, reassuring them that decisions made with Iran would not undermine regional stability or their long-term security interests.
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