Trump and top aides blindsided by scale of Iran's retaliation as Gulf allies 'furious'

President Donald Trump and some of his closest advisers were caught off guard by the scope of Iran’s military response to U.S. strikes, while key Gulf allies have privately expressed anger at the White House’s decision to escalate the conflict, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

The publication reported Friday that “the president and some aides were surprised at the breadth and scope of Iran’s retaliation,” which included missile and drone launches targeting regional countries from Azerbaijan to Oman, according to people familiar with the matter.”

The response has raised fears of a wider regional conflict and complicated the administration’s efforts to frame the operation as a success, the Journal said. Trump has publicly suggested the mission was largely accomplished, telling supporters this week: “We’ve won.”

Gulf allies have reacted sharply behind closed doors.

“Allies in the Gulf are privately furious with the U.S., according to diplomats and others familiar with the matter,” the Journal reported Friday. “They blame the Trump administration for triggering a war that put them in the crosshairs and pierced their image of a luxurious, business-friendly locale free of the region’s chaos.”

Trump’s war in Iran has also left Americans in the region vulnerable. The State Department urged citizens to depart or shelter in place only after fighting had intensified, with commercial airspace already shutting down in parts of the Middle East.

Analysts say Trump now faces difficult choices between seeking an exit or risking deeper instability, according to the Journal.

"U.S. officials, however, say privately there are no plans to withdraw forces - more Marines and warships are headed to the region - and some expected the fighting to last weeks or longer," the report said.