Arab allies fear Iranian state could collapse
Barbara Plett Usher
Reporting from Doha
We continue to hear explosions in Doha and they are being reported around the region.
The Qataris, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan say they are intercepting missiles fired from Iran at US military bases on their territory.
Some of them have said they reserve the right to respond, but they would almost certainly calculate that move very carefully.
This is exactly the outcome that regional leaders have been working very hard to prevent over the past weeks, throwing themselves into efforts to mediate between Iran and the United States.
It’s clear now that the Trump administration took advice from Israel rather than that of its Arab allies.
The Arabs are concerned that the US and Israeli air strikes will destabilise the region and draw it into the war.
They fear that Iran could strike not only the US targets on their soil, but also infrastructure such as gas and oil facilities, or possibly close the Strait of Hormuz through which oil exports are shipped.
In a worst case scenario, they worry that the Iranian state could collapse, leading to a flow of refugees and weapons across their borders, especially as Trump has made clear the aim of the operation is regime change.
https://trt.world/c158
who expected fireworks for a few hours and a victory lap already. Imagine being thrust in a war by a clown who promised no new wars and until recently was vocally after Nobel...
