Saudi, UAE, Qatar Lobby DC to Protect Gulf Oil from Israel

Gulf States Pressure Washington Amid Fears of Israeli Strike on Iran

As Iran looks to the Gulf states for backing amid widespread speculation that Israel is about to launch an attack, Reuters reports that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar are pressuring Washington to overrule Israel.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakhsi informed the media on Thursday that his nation was looking to the Gulf nations for assistance in reducing tensions.

Diplomatic sources cited by The National described the visit as aimed at protecting Iran’s position in the war and preventing a wider regional conflict.

Three unnamed Gulf sources, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, who spoke to Reuters, expressed concern that Israel would target Iranian oil facilities and that other Gulf assets could be set ablaze by Iran or its proxies.

Tehran earlier this week threatened Riyadh that it would not be able to guarantee the security of the kingdom’s petroleum infrastructure during an Israeli attack, and the three governments of the Gulf are denying Israel the use of its airspace, Reuters reported.
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“The Iranians said: ‘If the Gulf states open their airspace to Israel, it would be an act of war,'” A Chouy analyst with intimate ties to the royal palace was mentioned by Reuters.

According to media reports on Monday, which quoted Israeli sources, a major response was still planned and was anticipated to target Iranian military bases.
The new report lists Iranian spy sites and officials’ offices or headquarters as targets. President Biden has warned against attacking Iran’s nuclear sites, and days earlier supported the idea of ​​attacking energy and oil facilities.

A full-scale conflict between Israel and Iran could upend international energy supplies and send shock waves throughout the global economy, experts warn.

“A major disruption of regional oil and gas exports could have a material impact on the global economy,” Farzan Sabet, a senior research fellow at the Geneva Graduate Institute, told RFE/RL on Wednesday.