Top Middle East diplomats warn that a threatened escalation of the war between the US and Iran would probably be even more damaging than earlier rounds. Qatar is trying to mediate an interim deal, while Gulf states fear a new wave of Iranian attacks on energy sites and civilian infrastructure.
Gulf diplomats warned on the weekend that renewed war between the US and Iran would probably be even more damaging than the previous rounds, which have destabilised the region and caused turmoil in international energy markets. Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelatty said on Saturday that he was very confident a second round would be more dangerous and more destructive, and that it would lead nowhere.
Fears of a new phase after the US vote
There is concern in Iran and across the region that US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plan a new intense phase of the war after Americans vote on Tuesday. The expectation is that it would target Iranian nuclear and missile facilities, power plants and other infrastructure.
Iran has promised a fierce response, which raises fears in the Gulf that energy sites and civilian infrastructure, from airports to desalination plants, would again be targeted. Supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has warned that Iran would retaliate to fresh US-Israel attacks without any geographical limitations.
Qatar mediates as attacks continue
Meanwhile, Qatar is leading regional efforts to mediate an interim deal ahead of the US midterm elections next week. Iranian officials spent Saturday and Sunday in Doha for talks with mediators after a Qatari delegation visited Tehran on Friday.
However, the gap between the sides remains. Speaking at the IISS Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, UAE diplomat Anwar Gargash said on Sunday that the US and Iranian stances were still far apart. According to the Financial Times: "if these positions are not bridged then we have to worry about the worst" — Gargash's words.
Violence continues in the meantime. Saudi authorities mandated remote learning for schools nationwide on Saturday as Iran-backed Houthi missile and drone attacks kept targeting the kingdom. Trade and transport in the region have already been disrupted by Iran's attacks on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial artery for energy exports.
Source: Financial Times
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