MOSCOW, May 28. /TASS/. Persian Gulf states may seek to limit the use of US military bases in the region for offensive operations; Russia and France continue to maintain limited diplomatic communication channels, while Moscow says it remains open to dialogue with both Paris as well as the EU; and Donald Trump’s newly created Board of Peace is facing growing uncertainty. These stories topped Thursday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
Kommersant: Gulf states may seek limits on US military operations after Iran conflict
Following the end of the war with Iran, Persian Gulf countries intend to discuss with the United States the future role and functioning of American military bases in the region, Kommersant learned. Diplomatic sources in Arab countries told the newspaper that the role of military facilities, which Tehran subjected to massive bombardment beginning on February 28, should be limited by prohibiting the Pentagon from using them in offensive operations against Iran. Reducing the US military presence in the Middle East has been one of Tehran’s primary objectives since the start of the war.
As a diplomatic source in one of the Persian Gulf countries noted in a conversation with Kommersant, Washington’s regional allies intend to raise with the US administration the question of whether American bases should continue to be used for offensive operations. "I think that within the framework of the postwar regional security architecture, the Gulf states and the United States will reach an agreement not to use the bases for any direct attacks on Iran that could endanger the security of these states," the source told the newspaper.
