Saudi Arabia has asked the Trump administration to “give diplomacy a chance” before US President Donald Trump makes a final decision on whether to launch military action against Iran, two regional sources told The Jerusalem Post.
“Senior Saudi officials have asked senior Trump administration officials for ‘more time,’” one of the sources said.
Riyadh is concerned that if Trump orders a strike on Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian military could retaliate by targeting Saudi Arabia, including its water and electricity infrastructure, as well as facilities linked to the oil and energy sectors.
Several days ago, senior representatives of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, comprising Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, arrived in Tehran for meetings with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei.
The delegation also included Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud.
Saudis ask Iran to avoid targeting key oil, gas facilities
According to one regional source who spoke with the Post, during the meetings, the Saudis conveyed a request to Iran that, should the conflict resume, Tehran refrain from targeting key Saudi oil and gas facilities. However, the Iranians refused to make such a commitment, the source said.
During Operation Roaring Lion and Operation Epic Fury, the joint Israeli-American military campaign against Iran in March, Tehran launched missiles and drones toward a series of targets in Saudi Arabia.
At a certain point, Iran reduced and eventually halted its attacks following messages from Riyadh warning that Tehran was “crossing a red line” and that Saudi Arabia would be forced to strike Iran if the attacks continued.