Gulf States and Turkey warn Trump against Iran strikes, urge restraint

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, and Oman launched urgent lobbying to dissuade President Donald Trump from airstrikes on Iran, warning of a potential major Middle East conflict. Their efforts succeeded, as Trump held off on military action late Wednesday, with Saudi Arabia denying US airspace access.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held phone talks Thursday with Iranian, Omani, and Turkish counterparts amid ongoing discussions. Despite tensions Iran's support for regional proxies, rejection of a two-state Palestine solution, and Gulf island disputes, Tehran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has mended ties through Arab capital visits, including Bahrain (first since 2010) and multiple Cairo trips post-2016 rift.

Saudi-Iran relations, once volatile, have improved over three years, bolstered by Araghchi's diplomatic outreach and Gulf fears of Iranian maritime disruptions. Araghchi argues Iran poses less risk than Israel, citing last September's failed Israeli bombing of Hamas negotiators in Doha, which killed five lower-ranking members despite US apologies and new security pledges to Qatar.

US vulnerabilities emerged with personnel pullbacks from Qatar's al-Udeid base amid Tehran's threats, highlighting static bases' risks after alleged Iranian retaliation for Israel's summer assault on its leadership and nuclear sites. Araghchi has justified Iran's protest crackdown to Arab leaders wary of proxy interference yet opposed to regime-toppling precedents amid their own stability concerns.

Qatar's Majed al-Ansari called for negotiations on regional challenges, while Turkey's Hakan Fidan urged US-Iran dialogue through mediators or directly.