Arab states bordering the Persian Gulf, led by Saudi Arabia, are privately urging the United States not to launch a military strike on Iran, warning that such an intervention could trigger catastrophic economic and political instability across the region.
Despite the Trump administration advising them to prepare for potential action, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar are lobbying Washington to reconsider, fearing that a kinetic conflict would disrupt global oil markets and endanger their own national security.
Okay News understands that the Gulf nations are deeply concerned that a US attack to topple the Iranian regime could lead to severe retaliation and the disruption of oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz—a strategic waterway responsible for 20% of the world’s oil supply.
Saudi officials have reportedly gone a step further, assuring Tehran that they will not participate in any conflict or allow American forces to use their airspace for strikes, as the Kingdom seeks to protect its “Vision 2030” economic diversification plans from the fallout of war.
While President Donald Trump has not made a final decision, he recently posted on social media that “HELP IS ON ITS WAY,” encouraging Iranian demonstrators to “take over” the country’s institutions. However, Gulf leaders remain wary of the unpredictability of a post-regime Iran, fearing a power vacuum that could be filled by the hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or descend into total chaos. Former US Ambassador Michael Ratney noted that while these states have “no love for the Iranian regime,” they possess a “great aversion to instability.”
The warnings come as Iran faces its most significant internal challenge in years, with mass protests over economic hardship rocking the nation since late December. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) estimates that the violent crackdown has already resulted in over 2,550 deaths and nearly 30,000 arrests or detentions across 585 locations nationwide. Despite accusations from Iranian officials that the US and Israel are backing “riots,” analysts suggest the Gulf’s preferred outcome remains internal reform rather than a regime collapse induced by foreign military force.
