Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi [TASS]
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi [TASS]

Iran's stark warnings to Gulf states that it would strike regional energy infrastructure if the United States attacked again were a key factor behind Donald Trump's sudden decision to call off a large-scale airstrike on Iran five days after announcing it, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing multiple sources.

Iran sought to raise the cost of any US military action by threatening to hit critical energy infrastructure across the Gulf, effectively using Gulf states as leverage to deter further strikes.

The warnings were conveyed through high-level diplomatic contacts that followed shortly after Trump raised the possibility of striking Iranian energy facilities and infrastructure on July 28.

Multiple sources said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reached out in quick succession to his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar, as well as to Pakistan's army chief of staff.

Araghchi warned that Iran would retaliate against key Gulf energy facilities if the US struck Iranian territory again, and asked Gulf states to use their influence to prevent Trump from resuming military action.

A senior Middle Eastern diplomat said Araghchi delivered a consistent message in every conversation — that Iran was prepared to retaliate, but that the best way to prevent wider escalation and regional destruction was a diplomatic solution.

A Gulf-based source said Iran's warning was unambiguous. "If the US attacked Iran's infrastructure, Iran would retaliate by striking Gulf energy facilities and other strategic targets," the source said.

Reuters assessed that Iran's decision to send such warnings to Gulf states was a deliberate strategy to maximize the perceived cost of any US military action.

In effect, Iran sought to deter further US strikes by treating the Gulf states caught between Washington and Tehran as de facto hostages.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman subsequently called Trump and urged him to delay military action, resume negotiations and pursue a diplomatic resolution, sources said.

Another source said the warnings were directed at all Gulf states but were channeled primarily through Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

A separate Iranian government official said Iran had warned that the region could "turn into a ball of fire" if the US struck again, and that Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia had all urged Washington to restart dialogue with Tehran.

On Sunday, Trump said he had agreed to cancel the strike on Iran "on the condition that a deal can be made quickly."

Ali Shihabi, a Saudi analyst with close ties to the royal court, said Riyadh had concluded that further escalation was unlikely to achieve the desired outcome.

"The kingdom believes that combining a proportionate military response with sustained pressure on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz is the most powerful path to a genuine diplomatic resolution," Shihabi said.


mokiya@heraldcorp.com