Gulf states talk Donald Trump out of Iran attack

Gulf countries including Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar led efforts to dissuade US President Donald Trump from launching a strike on Iran, citing fears of “grave blowbacks in the region,” a senior Saudi official said on Thursday.
The GCC states “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 still ongoing. Personnel were moved from a major US military base in Qatar on Wednesday, and staff at US missions in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait were advised to exercise caution amid concerns of a US attack over Iran’s crackdown on protesters.
The Saudi official said the Gulf efforts aimed to prevent “an uncontrollable situation in the region.” He added, “We told Washington that an attack on Iran would open the way for a series of grave blowbacks.” Another Gulf official said Iran was warned that attacks on US facilities in the Gulf would affect its relations with regional countries.
Trump later said he had been informed that killings during Iran’s protests were easing and indicated there was no current plan for large-scale executions, adopting a wait-and-see stance. Iranian state media reported that a 26-year-old man, Erfan Soltani, arrested during protests in Karaj, would not face the death penalty, citing relatives. Rights group Hengaw had earlier reported that his execution, previously scheduled, was postponed.
Protests in Iran have reportedly decreased in the last few days, although a week-long internet shutdown has made verification difficult. In a social media post, Trump commented: “This is good news. Hopefully, it will continue!” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the government was addressing economic challenges, corruption, and foreign exchange issues to improve purchasing power for poorer citizens. Following the development, oil prices fell sharply. Brent crude dropped $2.19, or 3.3 per cent, to $64.33 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate fell $2.07, or 3.34 per cent, to $59.95.
“Trump turned the oil market mood by saying he had received assurances that killings of demonstrators in Iran had stopped,” said John Evans, analyst at PVM, adding that prices now reflected expectations of near-term oversupply.