Iran Foreign Minister Claims Gulf States May Be Covertly Encouraging Attacks By US

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi demanded clarification on reports that Mohammed bin Salman was in regular private conversations with Donald Trump, urging the US president “to continue hitting the Iranians hard”.

While Saudi Arabia has publicly condemned U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iranian soil, leaked reports suggest that behind closed doors, the Crown Prince has been encouraging Donald Trump to maintain a “hardline” military approach against Iran. Aragchi claimed that the Saudi crown prince’s public opposition to the US attacks on Iran did not reflect his private position. “Stances should be promptly clarified,” he said in a post on X after stating that hundreds of civilians had been killed in US-Israeli attacks, including more than 200 children.

By highlighting the gap between public diplomacy and private influence, Iran is effectively warning its neighbors that they cannot remain neutral if they are secretly supporting foreign intervention. This development threatens to dismantle recent diplomatic progress in the Middle East, potentially pushing the region toward a broader and more transparent conflict.