Gulf states are urging the US not to launch a military strike on Iran, warning that such an intervention could trigger economic and political instability across the region, media reports said yesterday.
Saudi Arabia, joined by Oman and Qatar, has been privately lobbying the Trump administration after the White House warned them to prepare for possible action against Tehran, according to the Wall Street Journal.
They are pressing US officials behind the scenes to reconsider as Iran continues facing mass protests and fears of war spread.
According to Gulf officials, any military effort to topple Iran’s regime could severely disrupt global oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, which is a strategic waterway through which around 20 per cent of the world’s oil supply passes.
US President Donald Trump has not yet made a final decision but posted on social media urging Iranian demonstrators to persist and that help is on way.
Gulf leaders are concerned about the unpredictability of a post-Khamenei Iran, including the possibility of power shifting to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or resulting in regional chaos.
Iran has been rocked by waves of protests since last month, starting on December 28 at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, over the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial and worsening economic conditions. Demonstrations later spread to several other cities.
There are no official casualty figures, but rights activists estimate that the death toll has reached 3,428.
A US military strike on Iran is expected to take place within the next 24 hours, US officials have warned, Britain’s The Daily Mail reported.
The US is withdrawing some personnel from bases in the Middle East, a US official said.
Qatar said drawdowns from its Al Udeid air base were “being undertaken in response to the current regional tensions”.
Direct contacts between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff had been suspended, a senior Iranian official said.
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