The United Arab Emirates and Qatar are privately urging their allies to help persuade President Donald Trump to pursue a swift diplomatic end to the conflict with Iran, according to people familiar with the matter.
The two Gulf nations are working to build a broad coalition to convince the Trump administration to keep any military action limited and quickly move to negotiations . Their goal is to prevent a wider regional war and avoid a long period of high energy prices that would follow an extended conflict, the people said. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive private talks.
The diplomatic push comes as Gulf Arab states grow increasingly concerned about instability. In late January, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Iran's president that the kingdom would not allow its airspace or territory to be used for any military action against Iran . The UAE had earlier taken a similar stance.
The concern among U.S. allies in the region is not new. In mid-January, four Arab states - Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Egypt - conducted intense diplomacy with Washington and Tehran to prevent threatened U.S. strikes . Those efforts came as the Trump administration weighed a response to Iran's crackdown on protesters.
A Gulf official said at the time that the four countries told Washington that any attack would have consequences for the wider region in terms of both security and economics . Those consequences would ultimately affect the United States itself, the official said .
The countries also warned Iran that any retaliatory attacks it launched on U.S. facilities in the Gulf would damage Tehran's relations with other nations in the region .
Gulf states have multiple reasons for seeking restraint. U.S. military facilities in their countries could be caught in any Iranian retaliation . Energy facilities that underpin the regional economy could also be targeted . The Strait of Hormuz, through which much of the world's oil exports pass, sits directly off their coasts.
A Qatari assessment shared with Bloomberg News warned that if shipping lanes in the region remain severely disrupted, natural gas prices would see a significant market reaction beyond initial spikes .
The UAE and Qatar are now seeking to build on earlier mediation efforts. Both nations have relationships with the Trump administration and have been involved in regional diplomacy . Qatar and Oman have previously mediated disputes between Iran and the West .
Anxiety has been mounting among Gulf officials that President Trump may be moving toward another attack against Iran despite their counsel, Politico reported in late January . The White House has given few assurances about heeding their advice, and Trump's continued shifting of military resources toward the Gulf has added to concerns .
The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group has entered the Indian Ocean, placing it within striking distance of Iran . Trump has noted that a "large armada" of American warships is headed to the Gulf at his direction .
Despite the military buildup, Trump has expressed a preference for finding a diplomatic solution. "If we do make a deal, that's good," he told reporters in late January. "If we don't make a deal. We'll see what happens" .
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has maintained that "all options remain on the table" for Trump as he deals with Iran . But she added that only the president knows what he will do, and a very small team of advisers is read into his thinking .
The current diplomatic efforts by the UAE and Qatar focus on creating an off-ramp that would keep U.S. military operations short and lead to talks . The countries want to advance a swift and diplomatic end to the conflict .
Gulf states have spent years diversifying their economies and positioning themselves as stable investment hubs . Sustained conflict puts that narrative at risk. Short-term escalation can be absorbed, but prolonged instability is harder to manage with investors and markets .
The UAE and Qatar are now waiting to see whether their lobbying of allies will help shape Washington's decision-making in the days ahead.