Reuters reported on Thursday that Gulf states are concerned that an escalation between Iran and Israel could lead to attempts to engage Gulf states, threaten oil facilities and co-opt Iran.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was in Doha for talks with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which includes Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). held The meeting was aimed at providing a forum for dialogue with Tehran.
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Iranian leaders on Thursday announced a year-long war between Israel and Iranian-backed terrorist organizations that began on October 7, 2023, when Iran's proxy terrorist organization Hamas invaded Israel and massacred 1,200 people, according to Saudi media reports. It was reported that he held talks with GCC foreign ministers mainly regarding the conflict. In addition to widespread crimes against humanity, people. The conflict intensified as Iran activated other terrorist groups, most notably Yemen's Houthis and Lebanon's Hezbollah, to attack Israel. Hezbollah has been waging a months-long war on Israel's northern border, displacing more than 60,500 people in the area. In September, Israel adopted the restoration of sovereignty in the northern territories as a goal of its war against Hamas and its allies, and on September 27 it killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Israel then launched what it called a limited ground operation in Lebanon to eliminate low-ranking members of Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Iran fired more than 100 missiles at Israel on Tuesday, but there were no casualties and the Israeli government said damage was minimal.
Reuters reported on Thursday that much of the conversation between Iranian leaders and GCC representatives centered on the latter's concerns about being dragged into the conflict.
“Gulf Arab states urged Iran to reaffirm its neutrality in the Tehran-Israel conflict at a meeting in Doha this week amid concerns that escalating violence could threaten their oil facilities. Reuters said. reportedsaid two anonymous sources.
“De-escalation of the emergency situation was at the top of the agenda for all ongoing discussions, one of the sources said,” the news agency said.
Reuters also cited a similar assessment of the talks from Saudi commentator Ali Shihabi. Shihabi said that GGC officials “believe that it is unlikely that Iran will attack oil facilities, but unofficial sources on the Iranian side have indicated that it is a possibility.”
Iranian worshipers burn American flags during an anti-Israel rally after Friday prayers in Tehran, Iran, September 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan met Mr. Pezeshkian in Qatar on Wednesday in what he called a meeting on how to continue improving relations. Iran and Saudi Arabia have long been geopolitical rivals, and Iranian proxies have previously attacked Saudi oil facilities. But in March 2023, the Chinese Communist Party suddenly announced that it had brokered a peace agreement between Riyadh and Tehran that facilitated the return of diplomatic missions to their respective capitals. The peace deal comes ahead of this year's ceasefire between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi terrorist group, which receives significant funding and support from Iran.
In his meeting with Pezeshkian, Faisal said the Saudi government aims to “forever close the chapter on our differences, focus on resolving issues, and develop relations as two friendly and brotherly countries.” said.
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Regarding the escalation against Israel, Faisal added: “I trust your wisdom and insight to manage the situation and contribute to peace and stability in the region.”
Mr. Pezeshkian insisted that Iran is “not pursuing war” with its neighbor despite decades of genocidal hostilities against Israel, but said that Israel “is not pursuing war in Tehran during the presidential inauguration. “We terrorized the guests,” he said. The president noted that Hamas's “political” leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an explosion at his headquarters while he was in Tehran for Pezeshkian's swearing-in ceremony.
Saudi Arabia has endured years of Houthi attacks on its territory. The Houthis seized Yemen's capital Sanaa in 2014, ousting the Saudi-friendly legitimate government and starting a decade-long civil war. In response to Riyadh's support for the legitimate government, the Houthis regularly use drones and missiles to bomb Saudi territory, particularly targeting the country's oil facilities.
The largest Houthi operation against Saudi Arabia occurred in March 2022, when they began bombing oil facilities in the Red Sea port of Jeddah. One such attack caused a massive fire at an oil tank facility in Jeddah, creating an apocalyptic backdrop for the Formula One race that was being held in the city that day.
“These types of attacks and escalations at a time when markets are so tight are a real concern for the world, because further escalations over time could have some impact on supply. Amin Nasser, CEO of Saudi oil company Aramco, said at the time.
In a separate statement, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “The international community supports Iran's decision to equip the terrorist Houthi militia with ballistic missile technology and advanced unmanned aerial vehicles to target Saudi oil production sites.'' He emphasized the importance of recognizing the seriousness of continued actions. , gas and refined products. ”
The escalating violence between Iran and Israel is also a major concern for Bahrain and the UAE, signatories of the Trump-era Abraham Accords that normalized diplomatic relations with Israel. both country It actively condemned the October 7 atrocities, in contrast to the indifference of much of the rest of the Middle East. I didn't Please comment immediately on Nasrallah's removal.
