Gulf countries gear up diplomacy to stave off US-Iran escalation

Gulf countries gear up diplomacy to stave off US-Iran escalation Gulf nations don’t want the chaos that a US attack on Iran or the collapse of the Islamic Republic would generate. Arab Gulf nations have been watching nervously as neighbouring Iran has been engulfed in nationwide protests. United States President Donald Trump has threatened military action against Tehran - a move many Gulf powers fear would plunge the region into chaos. Behind the scenes, Saudi Arabia has reportedly been lobbying the US administration to refrain from striking Iran, while Qatar and Oman have been focused on diplomatic outreach between Iranian and American officials. The three countries shifted into high-gear diplomacy to de-escalate tensions after reports on Wednesday suggested that contact between Washington and Tehran had broken down, raising fears that an attack was imminent, observers said. Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3 Lebanese fear US has given green light for Israeli escalation list 2 of 3 Russia unlikely to risk ‘reputation failure’ by intervening in Iran unrest list 3 of 3 Trump suspends immigrant visas for 75 countries: Who’s affected? “They were all concerned because all traditional channels [between the US and Iran] were not being utilised, at least from the US side,” said Anna Jacobs Khalaf, a Gulf analyst and non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute. “GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] officials didn’t know what the US intentions were,” said Muhanad Seloom, assistant professor in critical security studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. Regional spillover Tensions escalated after Trump repeatedly threatened military action in Iran over the bloodshed taking place there. Authorities in Iran say that more than 100 security force personnel have been killed in clashes with protesters, while opposition activists say the real toll includes more than 1,000 protesters, since demonstrations erupted in late December. Al Jazeera cannot independently verify these figures. Trump called on Iranians to take over state institutions, promising that “help is on the way”. While it wasn’t clear what kind of attack he was considering, his remarks left the region bracing for an escalation. Arab Gulf nations fear that a military strike on Iran could disrupt oil prices, shatter their reputation as safe havens for business, and trigger an Iranian retaliation on their soil. It wouldn’t be the first time. In 2019, Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen struck Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities, temporarily reducing Saudi oil production. Last June, Tehran attacked Qatar’s Al Udeid airbase, which hosts American troops, after the US struck a key nuclear facility in Iran. Iran gave ample warning that it would carry out the attack, which marked the end of the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, yet it created a precedent. And while that conflict weakened Iran’s military capabilities, the Islamic Republic still has an arsenal to hurt US interests in the region. “Iran has ballistic missiles, supersonic missiles and militia groups around, so if they are given a reason to hit, they would,” said Seloom. On Wednesday, a senior Iranian...

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