Reuters: Gulf Arab States Have Asked the U.S. to Prevent Israel from Attacking Iran's Oil Facilities

On Thursday, October 11, Reuters reported, citing three sources from Gulf Arab states, that these countries have requested the U.S. to deter Israel from attacking Iran's oil facilities. According to the report, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar have told the U.S. that they will not allow Israel to attack Iran by flying over their airspace. This action by the aforementioned countries follows Iran's recent diplomatic efforts to persuade them to use their relations with the U.S. to pressure Israel amid growing concerns about a potential Israeli attack on Iran's oil facilities. Reuters quoted 'a senior official and an Iranian diplomat' stating that the Islamic Republic warned Saudi Arabia in a recent meeting that if Riyadh assists Israel in attacking Iran, it cannot guarantee the safety of Saudi oil facilities. Ali al-Shahabi, a Saudi analyst close to the royal family, told Reuters: 'Iranians have said that if Gulf countries open their airspace to Israel, it will be considered an act of war.' An Iranian diplomat also told Reuters that Tehran sent a clear message to Riyadh that if it supports Israel against the Islamic Republic, Iranian-affiliated groups in countries like Iraq and Yemen will also respond. Sources from Reuters indicated that the potential Israeli attack was at the center of discussions on Wednesday, October 10, between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. An Arab source also mentioned that Araghchi's visit and communications between Saudi Arabia and the U.S. at the defense ministry level are part of coordinated efforts to address this crisis. Reuters reported, citing a knowledgeable source in Washington, that officials from Gulf Arab states expressed concerns to their American counterparts about the potential scope of Israel's response to last week's missile attack by the Islamic Republic. Oil at Risk? The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), led de facto by Saudi Arabia, has enough surplus oil to compensate for the shortfall resulting from the cessation of Iranian oil supplies to global markets. However, most of this surplus oil is in the Gulf region, and if there is an attack on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia or the UAE, the world will face an oil shortage. An Arab source told Reuters that concerns about oil facilities and the potential expansion of war throughout the Middle East have been at the center of discussions between Emirati officials and their American counterparts. According to him, Gulf countries will not allow Israeli missiles to pass through their airspace and hope that their oil facilities will not be targeted. Three sources from Gulf Arab states emphasized that Israel could attack the Islamic Republic through Jordan or Iraq, but 'using the airspace of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, or Qatar is off the table and strategically unnecessary.' They stated that Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain are interested in de-escalation. The Iranian government launched an unprecedented attack on Tuesday night, October 1, firing over 180 ballistic missiles towards Israel, significantly escalating ongoing tensions in the Middle East. While senior Israeli officials have stated that they will not leave the aforementioned attack unanswered, there has been much speculation about how Israel will respond to this unprecedented attack. Yoav Galant, Israel's Minister of Defense, stated on Wednesday that the country's response to the Islamic Republic of Iran will be 'powerful, precise, and most importantly, surprising.' Netanyahu's conversation with Biden regarding the response to the Islamic Republic's missile attack was described by the White House as 'clear and substantive.' The return of Iranian tankers to the Gulf export terminal suggests that Tehran may believe the risk of an Israeli attack has diminished. A claim from Channel 12 in Israel indicates that the U.S. and several Arab countries have begun secret negotiations with the Islamic Republic to achieve a ceasefire. Reuters reported that the Islamic Republic has warned regional Arab countries that assistance in an Israeli attack will not go unanswered. The New York Times noted that the focus of the Israeli attack is on military targets, intelligence objectives, or 'leadership.'