In a quiet but intense diplomatic push, several key Arab states have moved swiftly to stop the Middle East from sliding into another major conflict. Saudi
Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and Oman reportedly launched a behind-the-scenes lobbying effort to persuade US President Donald Trump not to order military strikes on Iran, following Tehran’s deadly crackdown on protesters. The outreach comes as fears grow that any US attack on Iran could trigger wider instability across the region and send shockwaves through the global economy. According to an Arab diplomat familiar with the discussions, senior officials from Egypt, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have, over the past 48 hours, conveyed their concerns directly to Washington, AP reported. They warned that a US military intervention would further destabilise an already volatile Middle East and risk severe economic fallout worldwide. The diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks, said regional allies stressed that escalation with Iran could quickly spiral beyond control, drawing in multiple countries and threatening energy markets at a time of heightened global uncertainty.
Trump backing away from US strike?
In a matter of a day, Trump went from offering assurances to Iranian citizens that "help is on its way" and urging them to take over their country's institutions to abruptly declaring on Wednesday that he had received information from "very important sources on the other side" that Iran had stopped killing protesters and was not going forward with executions.
Nevertheless, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday maintained that "all options remain on the table" for Trump as he deals with Iran.
"The truth is only President Trump knows what he's going to do, and a very, very small team of advisers are read into his thinking on that," Leavitt said. She added, "He continues to closely monitor the situation on the ground in Iran."
Also Read: 'Trump Stopped 800 Executions': US Drops Bombshell Claim on Iran, Warns 'All Options' Still On Table
Oil prices remain fairly stable
The International Monetary Fund (IMF), which is watching global energy markets amid tensions in Iran, noted that oil prices have not yet seen “very significant impacts.” Asked how serious the current tensions could be for global energy markets, Julie Kozack, Director of the IMF’s Communications Department, said, “What I can say for now is that obviously we're monitoring all of this closely.”
She added, “We pay close attention to what happens in global energy markets and oil prices in particular.”
“Right now, there haven't been very significant impacts on oil prices, but as I said, we'll closely monitor, and we'll look for signs of changes in those markets,” Kozack said at the IMF press briefing.
While it seems to be backing away from strikes, the Trump administration on Thursday announced new sanctions against Iran. Included in Thursday's sanctions is the secretary of the Supreme Council for National Security, whom the Treasury Department accuses of being one of the first officials to call for violence against Iranian protesters.
(With agency inputs)
