Gulf states urging US against Iran strikes – WSJ

Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar are reportedly trying to persuade Trump to abandon regime-change plans in Tehran

Major Arab Gulf states are privately urging the US not to launch a military strike on Iran, warning it could trigger severe regional instability and disrupt the global oil market, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. 

According to the outlet, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar are leading the diplomatic effort behind the scenes, lobbying the Trump administration as it weighs potential military options against Tehran amid major anti-government protests. The lobbying campaign comes after the White House reportedly warned regional allies to prepare for potential US action. 

In private communications, the Gulf states have argued that any effort to topple Iran’s regime could severely rattle oil markets. Their primary fear is the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which around 20% of the world’s oil supply passes.  

“They have no love for the Iranian regime in any way, shape or form, but they also have a great aversion to instability,” former US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney told the Journal. 

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Gulf leaders are also concerned that toppling the government could shift power to the more hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or lead to nationwide chaos. Saudi officials have reportedly informed Tehran they will not participate in any US-Iran confrontation or allow American forces to use their airspace for strikes. 

While Trump has yet to announce a decision, he has posted on social media that “HELP IS ON ITS WAY” to Iranian protesters, urging them to take over state institutions. 

Meanwhile, Tehran has called on the UN Security Council to “unconditionally condemn” US threats of force, blaming Washington and Israel for instigating the unrest.  

Moscow has also accused the West of seeking to “destroy the Iranian state” by exploiting economic protests to engineer a color revolution. The Russian Foreign Ministry has further blamed US sanctions for causing the social crisis in Iran and condemned Trump’s threats of force as “absolutely unacceptable.”