King Salman, the aging monarch of Saudi Arabia, has been busy making appearances. Over three days last week in the Saudi holy city of Mecca, Salman organized and led three separate conferences with the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The theme of these meetings was similar: condemn Tehran for its hostile behavior and call on “the international community to take a firm stand to confront Iran and its [destabilizing] acts in the region.”

The subtext of the communiques — Iran is a terrorist state that must be confronted at the earliest opportunity lest it become more aggressive — is not lost on anyone who monitors the Middle East. What the Saudis and many of their partners in the Persian Gulf want is not only unconditional U.S. support for their anti-Iran policy, but also for Washington to fight their battles for them.