Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar have privately lobbied the Trump Administration against a strike on Tehran, warning that a bid to topple Iran’s regime could roil global energy markets and rebound on the U.S. economy, Arab Gulf officials told the Wall Street Journal.
Arab officials say the quiet campaign began after U.S. officials alerted Gulf partners to prepare for possible military action against Iran, prompting intense behind-the-scenes diplomacy from Riyadh, Muscat and Doha aimed at steering Washington away from escalation. These states argue that open conflict with Tehran would likely trigger attempts to disrupt tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow chokepoint between Iran and Oman through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supplies transit each day.
Energy analysts note that even partial disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has the potential to send crude prices sharply higher and inject fresh uncertainty into already fragile global markets, with knock-on effects for inflation and growth in major consuming economies such as the United States. Gulf policymakers, who rely heavily on stable oil revenue and U.S. security guarantees, fear that a sharp price spike followed by a global slowdown would undercut both regional stability and Washington’s economic interests.
According to regional media and diplomatic accounts, Saudi officials have gone further in their messaging to Tehran, signaling that Riyadh does not seek involvement in a U.S.–Iran war and would not permit American forces to use Saudi airspace for offensive strikes, part of a broader effort by Gulf monarchies to distance themselves from any direct attack on Iran. This posture reflects a wider trend in the Gulf toward hedging between Washington and Tehran, as governments there try to avoid becoming battlegrounds in a confrontation that could threaten their energy infrastructure, domestic security and long-term economic plans.
