Saudi, Qatar, Oman convinced Trump to ‘give Iran a chance’, says senior Saudi official
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Some personnel were moved out of a major US military base in Qatar on Jan 14, and staff at US missions in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait were warned to exercise caution.
PHOTO: AFP
RIYADH – Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman led efforts to talk US President Donald Trump out of an attack on Iran, fearing “grave blowbacks in the region”, a senior Saudi official told AFP on Jan 15.
The Gulf trio “led a long, frantic, diplomatic last-minute effort to convince President Trump to give Iran a chance to show good intention”, the official said on condition of anonymity, adding that dialogue was continuing.
Some personnel were moved out of a major US military base in Qatar
The United States has repeatedly warned it could intervene against a deadly Iranian government crackdown on protests
Many US bases and assets are located in the Gulf.
But after several threats, Mr Trump changed course, saying he had received assurances from “very important sources on the other side” that Iran would not execute demonstrators.
The Gulf efforts aimed to “avoid an uncontrollable situation in the region”, the Saudi official said.
“We told Washington that an attack on Iran would open the way for a series of grave blowbacks in the region,” the official added.
“It was a sleepless night to defuse more bombs in the region... the communication is still under way to consolidate the gained trust and the current good spirit.”
Another Gulf official said “the message conveyed to Iran has been that an attack on US facilities in the Gulf would have consequences on relations with countries in the region”. AFP
