According to sources, the Iranian government is currently very nervous and has been urgently cooperating with Middle Eastern countries in an attempt to reduce Israel’s response to Iran’s missile attacks earlier this month through diplomatic efforts.
The Cable News Network (CNN) reported on October 11 that informants told the media that Iran’s anxiety mainly stems from its uncertainty about whether the United States can convince Israel not to attack its nuclear and oil facilities.
Iran launched missile attacks on Israel on October 1, and since then, the United States has been consulting with Israel on how to respond to Iran’s actions. U.S. officials have made it clear that they do not want Israel to target Iran’s nuclear facilities or oil fields.
As of last week, Israel had not made any assurances that it would not retaliate against Iran’s nuclear facilities, as reported by CNN.
For decades, Israel has been planning to attack Iran’s nuclear capabilities, and just two years ago, the Israeli military simulated strikes against Iran during a military exercise.
An Arab diplomat told CNN that U.S. allies in the Gulf region, such as Qatar, have also expressed concerns to the United States, believing that attacks on Iran’s oil facilities could have a negative impact on the economy and environment of the entire Gulf region. The Arab diplomat also stated that Gulf countries generally do not want to be dragged into this conflict.
The Biden administration is also very concerned about this situation because U.S. influence on Israel appears to have steadily decreased over the past year. Israel is increasingly ignoring U.S. calls for restraint in Lebanon, similar to the situation in Gaza.
On Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued a strong warning about possible retaliatory action against Iran, saying, “Our strike will be deadly, precise, and most importantly – unexpected. They won’t understand what happened and how it happened.”
The United States believes Iran does not want a full-scale war with Israel, but an official stated that despite this, the U.S. is privately urging Iran to adjust its response if Israel launches an attack.
The Arab diplomat also told CNN that Iran specifically hopes that Saudi Arabia can help prevent Israeli attacks and use its influence over Washington to find a solution to the crisis. Officials from these two countries have met three times in less than a month to discuss relevant issues.