The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that the US’s Gulf Arab allies are preparing for heavy US strikes against Iran that they expect to provoke major Iranian retaliation against their infrastructure.
The report said that the Gulf states believe that the US attacks could come as early as this week. President Trump has made clear that he’s considering restarting the bombing campaign after Tuesday’s midterm elections.
The Journal report said that governments in the region, including the UAE and Qatar, have been running security drills at airports and other facilities to prepare for the potential major escalation. Saudi Arabia is already facing heavy attacks against its airports and oil infrastructure from Ansar Allah in Yemen, a war Riyadh reignited in July by bombing the Sanaa International Airport.
Amid the threats of escalation, some Gulf Arab states have been scrambling to find a diplomatic solution, but three days of talks between Iranian officials and Qatari mediators held over the weekend didn’t result in a breakthrough. During the talks, Iran said it was willing to open the Strait of Hormuz if the US agreed to its conditions, but there’s no sign that the Trump administration is willing to do so.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that Tehran remains open to a diplomatic solution, but it depends on the US’s position.
“We have presented our conditions and proposal, and everything depends on Washington’s political wisdom. If they choose genuine diplomacy, we are ready to engage. But if they intend to deceive us and launch military operations, they will face a response more bitter and more severe than before,” Araghchi said.
