Gulf Allies Prepare for Possible US Strike on Iran and Warn Tehran Over Attacks on Their Infrastructure
Several US Gulf partners are preparing for a possible major American attack on Iran as early as this week and have warned Tehran they may retaliate if their infrastructure is hit, the Wall Street Journal reports, as sharp rhetoric and falling oil prices signal rising tension.
Key US partners along the Gulf are drawing up plans for a possible American strike on Iran and quietly warning Tehran that they won’t stay passive if their territory is targeted, according to a Wall Street Journal report on their deliberations.
Officials in those states fear that any major US attack on Iranian targets could trigger missile and drone strikes on their own infrastructure. The Journal reports that some Gulf governments have told Iran they could respond individually or together if Iranian retaliation hits their oil, gas, or transport facilities.
People living near refineries, export terminals, and desalination plants across the Gulf have seen such risks before. Past missile and drone attacks on regional energy sites showed that industrial zones and shipping lanes would likely sit on the front line in any expanded confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
The regional nerves coincide with sharper talk about Iran in US political and media circles. Commentators such as Tucker Carlson have said the Trump administration could be within days of launching a nuclear strike on Iran, a claim that has been forcefully rejected by Israeli officials. Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, called discussion of a potential US nuclear strike “delusional” and said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not pressing Trump on that issue.
Danon has argued that Trump knows what he wants to achieve and how he wants to achieve it, and that Israel will work with the United States and support Washington’s decisions. He also told Al Arabiya that talk of a nuclear strike was delusional.
Oil markets have reacted to the mix of pressure and speculation. Prices fell nearly 8%, with Brent dropping to about $104.50 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate to $96.11. Trump has linked the drop to expectations around Iran, saying developments with Iran are “coming together very nicely,” claiming that “people found out about it,” and asserting that prices will fall further because, in his words, the United States is “easily winning.”
In a separate interview with Israel’s Channel 12, Trump said he is in no hurry to resume the Iran war, arguing that US economic pressure is “paralyzing their economy,” that Iran has “no money” and “no fuel,” and that “their people are very tired of the situation.”
For Gulf governments, the dilemma is clear: they depend on US security guarantees but also sit within range of Iranian missiles and drones. Preparations described by the Wall Street Journal suggest they are bracing for the possibility that a US–Iran clash could quickly spill over onto their soil.
Signals to watch in the near term include visible movements of US air and naval assets in the region, any public civil defense steps by Gulf states, new statements from Tehran about retaliation, and whether Washington or regional actors acknowledge steps to lower the temperature, such as back-channel contacts or confidence-building measures.
Sources
- OSINT