Saudi, Qatar, Oman Convinced Trump To ‘Give Iran a Chance’: Senior Saudi Official

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman are leading efforts to dissuade US President Donald Trump from an attack on Iran for fear of “serious repercussions in the region”, a senior Saudi official told AFP on Thursday.

The Gulf trio “led a long, frantic and diplomatic last-minute effort to persuade President Trump to give Iran a chance to show good faith,” the official said on condition of anonymity, adding that the dialogue was ongoing.

Some personnel were removed from a major US military base in Qatar on Wednesday and staff at US missions in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait were warned to be careful as fears of US attack grow over Iran’s crackdown on protesters.

The United States has repeatedly warned that it could intervene against the Iranian government’s deadly crackdown on protests, while Tehran has said it will retaliate with strikes on U.S. military and shipping targets.

There are many US bases and assets in the Gulf.

But after several threats, Trump changed course, saying he had received assurances from “very important sources on the other side” that Iran would not execute demonstrators.

The Saudi official said efforts in the Gulf were aimed at “avoiding an uncontrollable situation in the region.”

“We told Washington that an attack on Iran would lead to a series of serious blows in the region,” the official added.

“It was a sleepless night to defuse more bombs in the area… communication is still ongoing to reinforce the trust gained and the good spirit present.”

“The message to Iran is that an attack on US facilities in the Gulf will have consequences on relations with countries in the region,” another Gulf official said.