Iran warns Gulf states against backing US military operations

Iran has warned that any further cooperation between Persian Gulf states and the United States will be viewed as a threat to its national security, as tensions continue to escalate across the Middle East.

Speaking to reporters, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for Iran’s top joint military command, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, cautioned regional governments against providing logistical support to US forces, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

“The leaders of the countries in the region are warned that any cooperation with the United States or logistical support for its military will be regarded as an act of war against Iran’s sovereignty and national security,” Zolfaghari said.

“Should the conflict expand, the flames of war will engulf the entire region,” he added.

Zolfaghari argued that the cooperation of certain countries with the United States had already heightened the risk of the conflict spreading across the region.

The warning follows several days of military escalation. Between July 8 and July 13, US forces carried out multiple waves of strikes against targets in Iran in response to Tehran's attack on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran subsequently launched retaliatory strikes against US facilities in the Middle East. Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Qatar later reported intercepting Iranian aerial attacks, underscoring growing concerns over the potential for a wider regional conflict.

By Vafa Guliyeva