Symbolic imageIran warns Gulf states over energy strikes as Saudi Arabia braces for attacks
Iran has told Gulf states it would hit their energy infrastructure if the United States attacks Iranian territory again. A Saudi official said on Thursday that Riyadh expects coordinated attacks by Yemen's Houthis and Iraqi militias.
What happened
- Iran's foreign minister delivered the warning to his Saudi, Turkish and Qatari counterparts and Pakistan's military chief, Reuters reports.
- The contacts followed Trump's threat on Tuesday, 28 July, to strike Iran's energy network, five sources told Reuters.
- Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman then urged Trump to delay military action and return to negotiations.
- Riyadh says it has observed drones and missiles moving from north and south; intelligence points to energy sites, ports and airports.
- On Wednesday, 29 July, Saudi Arabia and CENTCOM struck Iran-backed groups in Iraq after drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities.
The view from outside
Russia's TASS places the standoff in a longer sequence: the US and Israel began the war on 28 February, a June memorandum halted hostilities, and Washington resumed large-scale strikes on 8 July, accusing Tehran of breaching the Strait of Hormuz terms.
What could happen next
- No attack on Gulf energy infrastructure has been reported so far, leaving Iran's warning untested.
- Iraqi militias said they would answer the Saudi-CENTCOM strikes; no retaliation has been reported.
- Whether Trump orders new strikes remains open; he says consultations with Tehran continue and expects an agreement.
Iran: Says it will retaliate against US assets and Gulf energy facilities if attacked again, while calling a diplomatic solution the better way.
Saudi Arabia: Says the expected attacks are supervised by Iran's Revolutionary Guards and could disrupt mediation, and that it is ready to respond to any aggression.
United States: Trump threatened Iran's energy network in late July but says talks with Tehran continue and an agreement is expected soon.
Also involved