Gulf Arab countries are stepping up efforts to mediate between the United States and Iran as President Donald Trump considers whether to renew attacks after Tuesday’s midterm elections. Officials fear the region could face a worse conflict than the one that followed U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in February.
The risk was a central concern at the Manama Dialogue, an annual security conference held in Bahrain’s capital. Participants discussed the possibility of Iranian missiles and drones reaching the city, which hosts American military bases, Western companies and important oil and gas facilities.
Anwar Gargash, a senior United Arab Emirates official, said the U.S. and Iranian positions on a possible agreement remained “far apart.” If the gap is not bridged, he warned, “we have to worry about the worst.”
U.S. officials said the American military carried out limited strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island on Monday. Trump told Fox News that day there was “a very good chance we make a deal.” At the same time, U.S. and Israeli military officials have prepared an expanded list of potential targets, including energy infrastructure and other sites important to Iran’s economy. Iran has warned it would retaliate against critical infrastructure and underwater communications cables in the region.
Sources: The New York Times World.