

Key Gulf allies say they won’t aid US in an Iran strike, limiting Trump’s options
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Saudi Arabia on Tuesday ruled out the use of its airspace and territory for a potential U.S. attack on Iran, complicating the Trump administration’s options in response to Tehran’s violent crackdown against Iranian protesters.
The Saudi move follows a similar statement Monday by the United Arab Emirates’ foreign ministry. The statements from the two Gulf states represent a foreign policy setback for the Trump administration as it seeks to ratchet up pressure on Tehran, which has defied Washington’s demand that it end uranium enrichment and end the suppression of protesters. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto leader, outlined his country’s position while talking by phone with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
A Saudi readout of the Tuesday call said that the crown prince had stressed that the kingdom “will not allow its airspace or territory to be used for any military actions against Iran." Saudi Arabia is worried about being drawn into a conflict with Iran, which attacked the kingdom’s oil facilities in 2019 during President Trump’s first term in office. “Both Saudi and the UAE have been targets of attacks by Iran and their proxies. A degraded and less threatening Iranian regime is in their interests, but they worry about regional unrest and Iranian retribution and don’t want to be the tip of the American spear," said Karim Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
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