Gulf allies privately make the case to Trump to keep fighting until Iran is decisively defeated
WASHINGTON (AP) — United States allies in the Gulf Saudi Arabia And United Arab Emirates, they insist President Donald Trump continue prosecution war against IranUS, Gulf and Israeli officials argue that Tehran has not been sufficiently weakened by a month-long US-led bombing campaign.
After privately grumbling at the beginning of the war insufficient advance notice was not given Some regional allies, who complained in the wake of the US-Israeli attack that the United States ignored their warnings that the war would have devastating consequences for the entire region, argue that the moment presents the White House with a historic opportunity to completely paralyze Tehran’s religious rule.
Officials from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait And bahrain They conveyed in private conversations that they did not want the military operation to end until there were significant changes in Iranian leadership or a dramatic change in Iran’s behavior, according to the officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The pressure from Gulf states comes as Trump vacillates amid claims that Iran’s leadership is diminishing. ready to settle conflict and threat escalate the war unless an agreement is reached soon.
Meanwhile Trump Strives to garner public support home for a war that remains More than 3,000 dead throughout the Middle East and shaking the global economy. But the US leader appears increasingly confident that he has the full support of his most important allies in the Middle East. including those who are hesitant about a new military operation inside the road to war.
Trump told reporters: “Saudi Arabia is striking back. Qatar is striking back. The UAE is striking back. Kuwait is striking back. Bahrain is striking back.” Air Force One Leaving for Washington on Sunday evening His house in Florida. “They’re all resisting.”
Gulf countries host US forces and bases from which the US has launched attacks on Iran but has not participated in offensive strikes.
Gulf allies support war to varying degrees
While regional leaders now broadly support US efforts, a Gulf diplomat said there are some divisions, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE leading calls to increase military pressure on Tehran.
The diplomat said the UAE has emerged as perhaps the most hawkish among the Gulf states and is pressuring Trump to order a ground operation. Kuwait and Bahrain also choose this option. Facing more than 2,300 missile and drone attacks from Iran, the UAE grew increasingly frustrated as the war progressed and the salvos posed a threat. tarnish one’s image As the safe, pristine and profitable center of the Middle East’s trade and tourism.
Oman And Train, Iran, which has historically played an intermediary role between economically isolated Iran and the West for a long time, preferred a diplomatic solution.
The diplomat said Saudi Arabia had argued to the United States that ending the war would not create a “good deal” that guaranteed the security of Iran’s Arab neighbors.
Saudis say final war deal must be neutralized Iran’s nuclear programDestroy ballistic missile capabilities, end Tehran’s support for proxy groups, and also eliminate Iran’s Strait of Hormuz It cannot be effectively shut down by the Islamic Republic in the future as it was during the conflict. About 20% Before the war, most of the world’s oil flowed through waterways.
Achieving these goals would require a sharp course correction by the theocracy that has ruled the country ever since. 1979 Islamic Revolution or removal.
Meanwhile, senior UAE officials have become sharper in their rhetoric towards Iran.
“An Iranian regime that launches ballistic missiles at home, weaponizes global trade and supports proxies is no longer an acceptable feature of the regional landscape,” Noura Al Kaabi, minister of state at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote in an op-ed published by the state-run, English-language newspaper The National on Monday. He added: “We want a guarantee that this will never happen again.”
The White House declined to comment on this report about talks with Gulf allies. But the Minister of Foreign Affairs Marco Rubio On Monday, he underlined that the United States and its Gulf Arab allies are on the same page regarding Iran.
“These are religious fanatics who will never be allowed to have nuclear weapons because they have an apocalyptic vision of the future,” Rubio said of Iran on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “And by the way, all of their neighbors know that, so all of their neighbors are supportive of our efforts.”
Saudi Crown Prince urges US not to give up
Crown Prince Mohammed bin SalmanThe kingdom’s de facto leader told White House officials that further weakening Iran’s military capabilities and religious leadership serves the long-term interests of the Gulf region and beyond, according to a person with knowledge of the talks.
Still, the Saudis are sensitive to the fact that the longer the conflict drags on, the greater the opportunity for Iran to attack the energy infrastructure that is the heart of the kingdom’s oil-rich economy.
A Saudi government official stressed that while the kingdom would ultimately like to see a political solution to the crisis, its immediate focus remains on protecting its people and critical infrastructure.
In recent days, Trump has sought to emphasize that most Gulf states remain aligned with his administration as the U.S. wages war, criticizing NATO allies for not joining the U.S. in the war while noting how these countries have united amid the crisis.
On Friday, he praised Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for their “courage” as the war progressed.
Speaking at an event in Miami sponsored by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, the president spoke particularly glowingly about the Saudi crown prince, hailing him as a “warrior” and a “fantastic man.”
Trump also mentioned that the Gulf countries are hesitant about him and the Israeli Prime Minister. Benjamin Netanyahu’s They decided to start the war, but have since recovered.
“They didn’t think this was going to happen, nobody did,” Trump said, referring to Iran launching thousands of retaliatory salvos around the Gulf. “And they stood up to them, and they united really strongly. And they were with us, but they weren’t with us indirectly. They were with us.”
Will Gulf allies join the war?
Trump has not yet called on Gulf countries to join offensive operations.
One reason may be that the administration has calculated that filling the skies with additional armies beyond Israel is not worth the trouble.
Three American warplanes They were accidentally dropped Amidst Iranian air strikes and friendly fire from Kuwait in the early days of the conflict. All six crew members were safely ejected from the F-15E Strike Eagles.
And on March 12, six American soldiers were killed. KC-135 refueling plane crashed in western Iraq.
Another factor is that the UAE and Bahrain are the only Gulf states that have official diplomatic relations with Israel, adding a layer of complexity to their calculations, says Yasmine Farouk, Gulf and Arabian Peninsula project director at the International Crisis Group.
But Iran has warned that if Trump implements his decision, it will attack its neighbors’ critical infrastructure, including desalination plants used to supply drinking water to the region. Iran threatens to hit power plants If the Strait of Hormuz is not opened by April 6.
“The lack of a clear goal, the lack of confidence that the United States will actually go all the way and get things done, makes some reluctant,” Faruk said. “But if a consequential or mass casualty (event) occurs in one of these countries, then it would be justified for them to become belligerents.”
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Magdy reported from Cairo and Mednick reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. AP writers Darlene Superville on Air Force One and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed reporting.
