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Reuters: Gulf countries urge America to prevent Israel from bombing Iranian oil fields news


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Reuters quoted three Gulf sources as saying that Gulf countries are pressuring Washington to prevent Israel from attacking Iranian oil sites, out of concern that its oil facilities might be targeted by groups allied with Tehran if the conflict escalates.

The three sources close to government circles stated that, as part of attempts to avoid being dragged into the conflict against their will, Gulf countries refused to allow Israel to fly within their airspace in any attack on Iran, and they conveyed this to Washington.

Israel vowed that Iran would pay the price for the missile attack it carried out last week, while Tehran said that any response would be met with widespread destruction, raising fears of the outbreak of a broader war in the Middle East that might include the United States.

The moves by the Gulf states come after a diplomatic campaign by Iran to persuade the Gulf states to use their influence with Washington, amid growing concerns about the possibility of Israel targeting Iranian oil production facilities.

Saudi analyst Ali Al-Shihabi said, “The Iranians made it clear that if the Gulf states opened their airspace to Israel, it would be an act of war.”

Coordinated effort

A Gulf source close to government departments told Reuters that the Iranian minister’s visit, along with Saudi-American communications at the level of the defense ministries, comes within the framework of a coordinated effort to address the crisis.

A source in Washington familiar with the discussions confirmed that Gulf officials contacted their American counterparts to express concern about the potential scope of the expected Israeli response.

The White House refused to answer a question about whether Gulf governments asked Washington to ensure that Israel’s response was thoughtful. US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke yesterday, Wednesday, about the Israeli response in a phone call, which both sides described as positive.

“The concern of the Gulf states is likely to be a major point of discussion with their Israeli counterparts in trying to convince Israel to implement a carefully considered response,” said Jonathan Panikoff, a former Middle East intelligence official who now works at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington.



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