The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Reuters reported that Iran has warned Gulf states that any new U.S. military attack on its territory would trigger retaliatory strikes against critical energy infrastructure across the region, five sources told Reuters, as Tehran seeks to deter further military action by raising the potential costs for Washington and its regional allies.
Two senior Iranian officials, two Gulf sources and a senior regional diplomat told Reuters that the warning was delivered through a series of high-level diplomatic contacts after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on July 28, 2026, to target Iran's energy network and infrastructure.
According to the sources who spoke to Reuters, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi held talks with his Saudi, Turkish and Qatari counterparts, as well as Pakistan's army chief. The sources requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions.
A senior regional diplomat told Reuters that Araqchi urged Washington's Gulf allies to use their influence with Trump to dissuade him from launching renewed strikes, warning that any attack on Iran would prompt retaliation against U.S. assets and energy facilities across the Gulf.
The diplomat said Araqchi delivered the same message in each conversation: Iran was prepared to retaliate but believed diplomacy remained the best way to prevent wider regional escalation.
"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 told Reuters.
Reuters reported that Iran's diplomatic efforts reflect Tehran's strategy of using the threat of broader regional destruction as leverage against further U.S. military action, placing Gulf states that host U.S. military bases in a difficult position between Washington and Tehran.
The senior regional diplomat and Gulf sources told Reuters that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman later spoke with Trump, urging him to delay military action, return to negotiations, secure a ceasefire and pursue a diplomatic solution.
Another Gulf source told Reuters that Iran's warning was intended for all Gulf states but was conveyed primarily through Saudi Arabia and Qatar, with which Tehran has improved relations in recent years.
A second Iranian official told Reuters that Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia have all encouraged Washington to resume negotiations with Tehran and avoid renewed conflict, warning that another round of U.S. strikes could "turn the region into a fireball."
Reuters noted that Trump said on Aug. 2, 2026, that he had agreed to cancel a planned attack on Iran, provided a diplomatic agreement could be reached quickly.
