Sunni states

Sam of Institute of Public Accuracy pointed this out to me: what is with the US government and media referring to countries in the Middle East as "Sunni states"? What does that mean? They are Sunni how? By virtue of the sectarian policies of governments such as the Saudi and Bahraini and UAE governments? If that is the case, that designation should be seen as insulting and it should be used to condemn sectarian governments.  What does Sunni states mean when there are substantial minority non-Sunnis in those states? Or is this yet another sign that US policies of the Middle East now mix Zionist with Sunni?