The most powerful countries Persian Gulfin particular Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emiratesare losing patience with Iranian attacks that have already hit ports, energy facilities and airports, writes Bloomberg, citing its sources.
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Adam Ziemienowicz, Mateusz Krymski / PAP / photos
Iran's neighbors are considering joining the war
Iran's largest neighbors may be forced to join the war against Iran if Tehran attacks their critical infrastructuresay people familiar with the matter and interviewed by the agency.
But they will only join the war if Tehran follows through on its threats to attack key Gulf energy and water infrastructure — a high threshold, they add.
Most Gulf states are moving in this direction, with some exceptions, such as Oman, which wants to maintain its role as mediator.
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Concerns of the Persian Gulf states. “They are afraid of being left with an angry regime.”
Still, they are wary of joining the war, given that Iran could step up attacks on them. There could also be a situation where US President Donald Trump strikes a deal with Tehran and they would be left alone with an aggrieved, angry regime, added a European diplomat in the region.
The war has shaken Iran's relations with its Sunni Arab neighbors. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have spent much of the last five years trying to stabilize relations with the Islamic Republic — a Shiite theocratic regime they have long seen as trying to expand its ideology and influence across the rest of the region — largely to avert the conflict that is currently raging.
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Iran attacks countries in the Persian Gulf
In the last 24 hours, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates intercepted drones and missiles launched by Iran.
Iran says Gulf states are legitimate targets because the United States uses their airspace and territories for attacks — a claim it all denies.
Donald Trump stated on Mondaythat it is postponing previously announced attacks on Iran's energy infrastructure for five days. This is the result of, as the US president wrote, “productive talks” that took place over the weekend with Iran. Tehran denied that such talks took place.
Over the weekend, Donald Trump gave Iran an ultimatum, demanding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. Otherwise, he threatened attacks on Iran's energy infrastructure.
Tehran replied that if the Americans attacked Iran's power plants, then it would Tehran will consider the energy infrastructure of countries in the region to be legitimate goals.
After the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, Teheren immediately launched attacks aimed – as it claimed – at American bases in the Persian Gulf countries.
Source: Bloomberg
