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.

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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.