Gulf states fear fiercer Iran retaliation if US strikes again

Gulf states feared that another US and Israeli attack on a better-prepared Iran could set off a wider war across the region, leaving them to absorb the damage, according to a report that described diplomatic efforts on Saturday, October 31.

The report said Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates were particularly concerned because they host American military facilities and had already been targeted by Iran over the previous eight months. It cited the Washington Post for Gulf officials' concern that Iran's conventional missiles cannot reach the United States but can hit US-linked targets in the Middle East, including military bases, oil facilities and civilian infrastructure.

Qatari mediators held more than 12 hours of talks with Iranian officials on Friday, October 30, and kept in contact with the White House, the report said, citing Axios. It said the talks were planned to continue in Doha through Saturday, with Qatar seeking reciprocal commitments that would let Tehran and Washington resume direct negotiations without new strikes.

Proposals under discussion included letting United Nations inspectors into Iranian nuclear sites damaged during the war, possibly in exchange for US sanctions relief, according to the report. It said both sides were in principle willing to concede but disagreed over who should move first, and that Iran wanted the United States to lift a naval blockade, release frozen funds and ease restrictions on Iranian oil exports before any nuclear concessions.