Iran warns Gulf states of retaliation if US attacks

Iran has issued a stark warning to Gulf Arab states, threatening to retaliate against their critical energy and water infrastructure if the United States launches new military strikes, according to multiple diplomatic sources. The threat, delivered through high-level contacts over the past week, aims to pressure Washington's regional allies to dissuade President Donald Trump from further action.

The diplomatic push began after Trump threatened on July 28 to strike Iran's energy network. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi subsequently contacted his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Qatar, as well as Pakistan's army chief, according to two senior Iranian officials, two Gulf sources, and a senior regional diplomat. All spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Araqchi's message was consistent, the senior diplomat said. He warned that any U.S. attack on Iran would prompt immediate retaliation against U.S. assets and a broad range of Gulf infrastructure, including oil fields, refineries, electricity grids, water desalination plants, and transport networks. The goal, officials said, was to raise the cost of conflict by threatening the economic...