Iran says it’s at war with US and Israel, not Gulf states
Iran has said it is not at war with any of the Gulf countries but with the United States and Israel. The Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said this on Monday as the US and Israel continue to attack Iran while Iranian continues retaliatory strikes on Israel and US interests in the Middle East. Al Jazeera reports that Iran accused the US of “betraying diplomacy” by attacking it during the mid-negotiation. Mr Araghchi said Gulf countries must pressure the US to end the attacks on Iran. He also said that US military bases, including those based in Gulf countries, as well as buildings that house US forces are legitimate targets. “We’re not attacking our neighbours, we’re attacking US military bases. US soldiers fleeing to hotels will not prevent them from being targeted,” he said. For the third consecutive day, loud explosions have been heard in Dubai, UAE and Qatar as Iran continues to retaliatory strikes on neighbouring Gulf states in response to ongoing attacks by the US and Israel. Bloomberg reports that the UAE and Qatar have begun privately lobbying allies to help persuade President Trump to opt for a diplomatic solution instead of a long military fight with Iran. Qatar also warned that if shipping routes in the region stay disrupted for a few more days, global natural gas prices could surge even more than they already did earlier this week. READ ALSO: Two more American soldiers killed by Iranian strikes On Monday, Qatar announced that it shot down two Iranian fighter planes, as well as missiles and drones, that crossed into its airspace. Like Qatar, all the Gulf countries have said they will continue to defend themselves. Meanwhile, Israel and Hezbollah have continued trading blows as the conflict widens. Share this: Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email Click to print (Opens in new window) Print