Oman says Iranian attacks on Gulf ‘inevitable’ response to US-Israeli assault
Oman says Iranian attacks on Gulf ‘inevitable’ response to US-Israeli assault
Oman’s foreign minister has stated that Iran’s assaults on Gulf nations are an unavoidable reaction to recent US-Israeli strikes. The Islamic Republic’s targeting of petrochemical facilities in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait has led to at least two fires, according to reports.
US miscalculation in regional conflict
In an article for the Economist, Badr Al Busaidi—also involved in mediating the latest stalled negotiations between the US and Iran—argued that the US had misjudged its involvement in the conflict with Tehran. “Iran’s retaliation against what it claims are American targets on neighboring territories was an inevitable, if deeply regrettable and completely unacceptable, result,” he wrote.
“Iran’s retaliation against what it claims are American targets on neighboring territories was an inevitable, if deeply regrettable and completely unacceptable, result,” he wrote.
Al Busaidi noted that the Iranian leadership viewed the US-Israeli campaign as a war aimed at dismantling the Islamic Republic. “This was probably the only rational option available to the Iranian leadership,” he added, suggesting the conflict had become a forced confrontation.
The US-Israeli strike on Iran, coupled with the Islamic Republic’s counterattacks, has significantly impacted global oil prices, compounded by Iran’s blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz. This disruption has raised concerns about the region’s economic stability.
Regional stability under threat
Al Busaidi warned that the Gulf’s role as a stable hub for tourism, technology, and finance was now “endangered.” He suggested that the plans for these nations to develop into global data center centers “may need to be revised.”
“The effects of Iran’s retaliation are already being felt globally, as maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is severely disrupted, driving up energy prices and threatening deep recession,” he wrote.
He emphasized that the conflict’s architects failed to foresee its consequences, calling it a “grave miscalculation.” The minister also noted that only Israel stands to gain materially from toppling the Islamic Republic, with little regard for the long-term governance of Iran.
Al Busaidi concluded that the war is not America’s to lead, urging allies to be honest about the US’s waning control over its foreign policy. “This is an uncomfortable truth to tell, because it involves indicating the extent to which America has lost control of its own foreign policy. But it must be told,” he stated.