Gulf States Brace for Blowback as US and Israel Launch Strikes on Iran

Gulf states are bracing for the fallout from a new US-Israeli air campaign against Iran, warning that the strikes could ignite a wider and more destructive regional war [276803]. The United States has reportedly told Gulf Arab countries to prepare for a possible "short, intense" military campaign, even as Qatari mediators push to end the conflict through talks [274840][276722].

The air campaign against Iran, launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, has already shown that any new attacks risk killing Iranian civilians [276746]. The warning to Gulf governments reportedly came after the November 3 midterm elections, and officials have not publicly confirmed the report [274840]. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz responded by urging diplomacy and calling for continued talks to ease tensions over Iran's nuclear program [274840].

The prospect of strikes has rattled global energy markets. Oil prices climbed on Tuesday as traders assessed the possibility that the United States and Israel could launch new military strikes on Iran [273324].

Diplomatic efforts are running in parallel. Indirect talks between Washington and Tehran have entered a third day in Doha, with Qatar mediating the release of more than $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets [276577]. The deal could reopen the Strait of Hormuz — a narrow waterway through which about one-fifth of the world's oil passes, whose closure has disrupted global energy supplies — and restart negotiations on Iran's nuclear program [276577]. Gulf officials say they are "braced for the worst" as they wait for Washington's response to the Iranian proposal, with the timing critical as the US midterm elections take place on Tuesday [276577]. Qatari mediators have met with Iranian officials for a third day of talks aimed at ending the war between the United States and Iran, amid concerns that the conflict could escalate again after the November 3 midterm elections [276722].

Gulf states hosting US forces could be affected in any such campaign [274840]. The situation remains tense as diplomatic efforts continue [274840].