Iran has warned Gulf states that any fresh US attack on its territory could trigger retaliation against critical energy infrastructure across the region, according to sources who spoke to Reuters.
The warning
was conveyed through a series of high-level diplomatic contacts after US President Donald Trump threatened last week to target Iran’s energy network and infrastructure, the sources said.
Two senior Iranian officials, two Gulf sources and a senior regional diplomat told Reuters that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi spoke with his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, as well as Pakistan’s army chief.
Araqchi urged US allies in the Gulf to use their influence to prevent further military action against Iran. The message, according to the sources, was that any attack on Iran would lead to retaliation against US assets and energy facilities across the Gulf.
“We’re ready to retaliate, but finding a diplomatic solution is the best way to avoid wider escalation and destruction across the region,” the senior regional diplomat said.
Iran warns of wider regional escalation
One Gulf source said Iran’s warning was clear: “if America targeted Iran’s infrastructure, they would retaliate by striking Gulf energy facilities and other regional targets.”
The warning was aimed at all Gulf states, but was mainly delivered through Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the sources said. Iran has improved ties with several Gulf countries in recent years, including Saudi Arabia, after years of tensions.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman later spoke with Trump and urged him to delay military action, return to negotiations, secure a ceasefire and pursue a diplomatic solution, according to the sources.
Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia have also called for renewed talks between Washington and Tehran, amid Iranian warnings that further US strikes could “turn the region into a fireball”.
Gulf states caught between US and Iran
The warnings have placed Gulf countries in a difficult position as they maintain close security ties with Washington while relying heavily on regional energy exports.
An Iranian official said any new US attack could lead to strikes on energy facilities, refineries, power networks, water infrastructure, transport systems and oil fields across the Gulf.
“The enemy continues to threaten Iranian infrastructure. If Iran suffers damage, it will inflict far greater damage in return,” the official said.
The official also referred to the 2019 attacks on Saudi Arabia’s Aramco facilities, which disrupted a major share of the kingdom’s crude oil production.
Saudi analyst Ali Shihabi said Riyadh believed further escalation would only cause more damage and that a mix of pressure and diplomacy offered the best path forward.
Iran’s warnings come as Washington and Tehran remain at odds over a possible return to negotiations. A senior regional diplomat said one challenge was that the US wanted an outcome it could present as a victory.
“The United States wants something it can present as proof that it won the war,” the diplomat said.
(With inputs from Reuters)
