Gulf states warn of fiercer war if US strikes Iran again

Gulf officials at the IISS Manama Dialogue in Bahrain warned that another US-Israeli attack on Iran could set off a more destructive war across the region. Iran is now better prepared, and its neighbors expect to bear the cost, Bloomberg reported. "We find ourselves drawn within a crisis that we worked diplomatically very hard to try to avert," Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, said on Sunday, November 1. "We are clearly seeking a political off-ramp."bloomberg.com

The warnings came two days before the November 3 US midterm elections. President Donald Trump has said the US will not launch new attacks before the vote, but he has not ruled out military action after it, Reuters reported.reuters.com

Braced for the Worst

Gargash said the UAE hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough. He added that another round of fighting "is not the interest of the region" and that Gulf states are "braced for the worst," according to Gulf News, citing AFP. He said Gulf countries are talking to Tehran through several channels, The National reported. Iran has attacked all six Gulf states and Jordan since the war began in February, the paper noted.gulfnews.com+1

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told the summit on Saturday that he was "extremely worried" about a new escalation. "The second round will be more dangerous, more destructive, and it will lead to nowhere," he said, according to Asharq Al-Awsat, citing Reuters. Jasem Al Budaiwi, secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, said the bloc is still open to talks but that "diplomacy needs partners, partners who respond in kind," Iran International reported.iranintl.com+1

Iran has fired thousands of missiles and drones at Gulf states, hitting oil facilities, airports and power plants. On Saturday, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei ordered commanders to prepare for immediate retaliation "without geographical limits," Bloomberg reported.bloomberg.com

Qatar Presses Mediation

Iranian negotiators spent a third straight day in Doha on Sunday, holding talks with Qatari mediators aimed at a deal to end the war, Reuters reported. Qatar's proposals have included a seven-day trust-building plan. Under it, Washington would lift its blockade of Iranian ports and unfreeze assets, and the Strait of Hormuz would then reopen, according to Reuters.reuters.com+1

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera that the talks now center on a two-day plan to reopen the strait. Iran's conditions include lifting new US sanctions, reducing the US military presence in the region and ending Israel's attacks on Lebanon. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump has not decided whether to strike again and would prefer a diplomatic solution, though he warned the US "can achieve military objectives if we seek to."aljazeera.com

Gargash has called the war a "watershed year" for the region. He said a military approach offers no quick off-ramp, the Los Angeles Times reported: "We don't really want to see another round of confrontation in the region."latimes.com