Bloomberg Surveillance · Friday, July 31, 2026
Ellen Wald stated that the media often misperceives the Arab Peninsula by overemphasizing the Shia-Sunni conflict, suggesting a more nuanced reality with diverse intra-sectarian dynamics. She noted that while this division exists, there is a significant popular sentiment uniting Gulf states against Iran, driven by Iranian actions.
“I think the media I would say that the most common misperception is that everything is defined by the Sunishia conflict. I think that that's a very simplistic way to look at it. There's a lot going on. You know, there's a lot going on between different of sex, Islamic sex, that kind of it really transcends it.”
“On the other hand, I would say that the one thing that has really stood out for me in conversations with people in the Gulf right now is that they, at least the people are fairly united in their sentiment against Iran. That a lot of the attacks that Iran has leveled against these countries uh in you know, in Saudi Arabia, in the UAE, uh you know, in Inkuait have really kind of solidified at least popular popular sentiment against Iran, and that they are potentially much more united in efforts to fight Iran than is I think being really portrayed in the United States and the media and from state takes at this point.”