DONALD Trump says that he was persuaded by interventions from the rulers of Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia to desist from resuming the US-Israeli military assault on Iran scheduled for yesterday. According to the US president, he’s been informed “that serious negotiations are now taking place, and that … a Deal will be made” which is acceptable to everyone.

Similar sentiments have been expressed before, and no one appears to have convinced Trump that holding a gun to Iran’s head is unlikely to facilitate any kind of agreement. It’s easy to understand, though, why Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Doha might be petrified by the prospect of renewed hostilities. Somewhat understandably, the Gulf states feel unfairly victimised by a war most of them didn’t desire. They are miffed by the fact that the Western military bases they host at great expense turned them into targets instead of providing a protective shield.

Notwithstanding their professed neutrality at the outset of the conflict, it was naive to expect that in the evolving circumstances a belligerent power’s facilities in the neighbourhood would escape Iran’s attention, or that Tehran would not weaponise its leverage over the Strait of Hormuz. To be fair, the Gulf palaces were........

© Dawn