Behind the scenes, Saudi Arabia has reportedly been urging the U.S. administration to refrain from striking Iran, while Qatar and Oman have focused on diplomatic outreach between Iranian and American official
Arab Gulf nations have been watching anxiously as neighbouring Iran has been gripped by nationwide protests, amid threats from United States President Donald Trump of possible military action against Tehran a prospect many Gulf states fear could plunge the region into chaos.
Behind the scenes, Saudi Arabia has reportedly been urging the U.S. administration to refrain from striking Iran, while Qatar and Oman have focused on diplomatic outreach between Iranian and American officials.
The three countries intensified their diplomatic efforts after reports on Wednesday suggested that communication between Washington and Tehran had broken down, raising concerns that an attack could be imminent, analysts said.
“All of them were concerned because traditional channels between the U.S. and Iran were not being used, at least from the U.S. side,” said Anna Jacobs Khalaf, a Gulf analyst and non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute.
“Officials within the Gulf Cooperation Council didn’t know what the U.S. intentions were,” said Muhanad Seloom, an assistant professor of critical security studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.
Tensions escalated after Trump repeatedly threatened military action over the violence in Iran.
Iranian authorities say more than 100 members of the security forces have been killed in clashes with protesters, while opposition activists claim the death toll includes more than 1,000 demonstrators since protests erupted in late December. Al Jazeera has been unable to independently verify the figures.
Trump has urged Iranians to seize control of state institutions, saying that “help is on the way”.
Although he did not specify what form any potential attack might take, his remarks left the region bracing for possible escalation.
Gulf states fear that a military strike on Iran could disrupt global oil markets, undermine their image as safe destinations for business and investment, and provoke Iranian retaliation on their territory.
Such concerns are rooted in recent history. In 2019, Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen attacked Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities, temporarily cutting production. Last June, Iran struck Qatar’s Al Udeid airbase which hosts U.S. forces after the United States attacked a key Iranian nuclear facility.
Tehran gave advance warning of the strike, which marked the end of the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, but the attack set a precedent.
While that conflict weakened Iran’s military capabilities, the country retains significant firepower that could threaten U.S. interests across the region.
“Iran has ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles and allied militia groups, so if given a reason to strike, it would,” Seloom said.
On Wednesday, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran had warned regional countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Turkiye that U.S. bases on their territory would be targeted if Washington attacks Iran.
The warning was followed by a partial drawdown of personnel from the Al Udeid airbase.
Speaking later at the White House, Trump said he had received information indicating that “the killing in Iran is stopping, is stopped and there’s no plan for executions”.
While some viewed the comments as a possible path toward de-escalation, the U.S. president did not rule out military action.
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