Iran Warns Gulf States of Retaliation

PHOTO CAPTION: An Iranian missile system is displayed in Azadi Square in Tehran, Iran, July 30, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

Aug. 6 — Iran has warned Gulf states that it could attack their oil, power and water infrastructure unless they persuade President Donald Trump to end U.S. strikes on Iran and pursue a negotiated end to the war, according to officials and regional sources familiar with the diplomatic effort.

A senior Iranian official said potential targets included energy facilities, oil fields, refineries, electricity grids, water systems, transportation networks and other strategic assets belonging to Washington’s closest Arab allies. The warning was part of a broader Iranian effort to deter further U.S. military action by raising the prospect of severe economic disruption across the Gulf.

The diplomatic campaign followed Trump’s July 28 threat to strike Iran’s energy network and infrastructure, the sources said. Two senior Iranian officials, two Gulf sources and a senior regional diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi spoke with his Saudi, Turkish and Qatari counterparts, as well as Pakistan’s army chief, according to the officials and sources. Araqchi urged Washington’s Gulf allies to use their influence with Trump to discourage renewed strikes, warning that an attack on Iran would prompt retaliation against U.S. assets and critical infrastructure across the Gulf.

“We’re ready to retaliate, but finding a diplomatic solution is the best way to avoid wider escalation and destruction across the region,” the senior regional diplomat said, describing Iran’s message.

“The Iranian warning was unequivocal: if America targeted Iran’s infrastructure, they would retaliate by striking Gulf energy facilities and other regional targets,” one Gulf source said.

The diplomatic effort shows how Iran is seeking to use the vulnerability of Gulf infrastructure as leverage, confronting regional governments with the possibility that another U.S.-Iran confrontation could put assets supporting their economies directly in danger.

Gulf states press for diplomacy

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman later spoke with Trump and urged him to delay military action, return to negotiations, secure a ceasefire and pursue a diplomatic settlement, the senior diplomat and Gulf sources said.

The warning was intended for every Gulf state but was conveyed primarily through Saudi Arabia and Qatar, another Gulf source said. Iran has repaired relations in recent years with several Gulf neighbors, including former regional rival Saudi Arabia.

Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia have urged Washington to resume talks with Tehran and avoid renewed conflict. A second Iranian official warned that another round of U.S. strikes could “turn the region into a fireball.”

On Aug. 2, Trump said he had agreed to cancel an attack on Iran “subject to being able to rapidly make a deal.”

“Saudi Arabia believes further escalation will only bring more destruction,” the first Gulf source said. “That is why it urged Trump to give diplomacy a chance.”

While encouraging Washington to pursue diplomacy, Riyadh also made clear that it would defend itself if threatened. A second Gulf source said Saudi Arabia warned that any attack on its territory would receive a military response.

Ali Shihabi, a Saudi analyst close to the Royal Court, said the kingdom believes further escalation is unlikely to produce the desired outcome.

“The Kingdom believes a combination of proportionate military responses and sustained pressure on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz offers the strongest path toward a practical diplomatic settlement,” Shihabi said.

Threat of broader escalation

Iran’s clerical leadership has repeatedly demanded the closure of U.S. military bases in the Gulf and called on Gulf Arab states to stop sharing intelligence with Washington, which Tehran believes has been used to support attacks against it.

One of the sources referred to the September 2019 drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq and Khurais facilities, which temporarily knocked out more than half of the kingdom’s crude oil production and exposed the vulnerability of Gulf energy infrastructure.

“The enemy continues to threaten Iranian infrastructure. If Iran suffers damage, it will inflict far greater damage in return,” said the Iranian official who described the potential target list, including power grids and refineries.

From Tehran’s perspective, Trump now faces two difficult choices, the senior Iranian official said: escalate a conflict that could spread across the Gulf and disrupt global energy supplies, or accept a negotiated outcome that falls short of the decisive victory Washington seeks.

One of the main obstacles to an agreement is Washington’s reluctance to allow Tehran to claim victory, the senior regional diplomat said.

“The United States wants something it can present as proof that it won the war,” the diplomat said.

(Source: Reuters)