International Desk: The Arab countries of the Persian Gulf have warned the United States that Washington will not be allowed to use their lands to launch a possible attack on Iran.
The Arab nations issued the warning as Tehran launched missile and drone attacks on Israel in retaliation for an Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria.
London-based news website Middle East Eye quoted a source as saying that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Kuwait have urged the United States not to use bases in those countries to attack Iran.
A senior US official told Middle East Eye, “After the Iranian attack on Israel, the US’s Persian Gulf allies are trying hard to prevent the US from using Middle East bases to retaliate against Iran.”
Gulf states are trying to remind America that the agreement under which US troops are deployed does not call for attacks on other countries. Even the Persian Gulf Arab countries are trying to prevent US warplanes from using the airspace of these countries to attack Iran.
Prime Minister Netanyahu convened a meeting of the Israeli War Cabinet after the start of Iran’s missile and drone attacks, Palestinian news agency Sama reported, citing Israel’s Hebrew-language newspaper Israel Al-Yawm. In that meeting, it was decided to launch a counterattack against Iran.
On the other hand, US President Joe Biden held a two-hour meeting with his national defense team in Washington, DC, at the same time. Biden spoke with Netanyahu by telephone after two meetings in the two capitals.
Biden told Netanyahu that Israel should not retaliate against Iran, a U.S. source said, though what was discussed in the phone call was not officially disclosed. Even the US president expressed concern that Netanyahu wants Washington involved in a larger war in the Middle East. He urged Netanyahu to desist from such efforts.
