Iran Warns Gulf States Over US Military Support

Tehran (GNP): Iran’s armed forces have warned Gulf countries against assisting the United States military, hours after the United Arab Emirates announced it was severing economic ties with Tehran following fresh attacks on shipping in the region.

The warning came as the Strait of Hormuz remained a flashpoint despite a recent lull in hostilities between Washington and Tehran, with attacks on commercial vessels continuing through the vital trade corridor.

Iranian armed forces chief of staff Ali Abdollahi said on Wednesday that any support extended to US forces would be treated as direct involvement in military operations against Iran.

Says Abdollahi, “Any assistance or facilitation provided to the aggressor US military amounts to participation in the US military operation.” His remarks followed the collapse of a framework agreement between the US and Iran that had aimed to reopen the strait, even as both sides had recently indicated that communication was ongoing.

President Donald Trump dismissed the prospect of renewed negotiations on Tuesday, posting on social media a depiction of the strait labelled as a “NEW U.S. Territory,” a move that further inflamed tensions just a day before Iran’s warning to regional states.

Abdollahi questioned the sincerity of assurances given by several Middle Eastern countries that they would not allow their territory to be used as a launchpad for attacks against Iran. Says Abdollahi, “It seems unlikely that such a large number of military aircraft, particularly refuelling aircraft, could be present at regional bases without knowledge of host countries,” adding that Gulf states “should know that we are fully aware of the situation.”

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Reports have circulated that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain have all struck targets inside Iran in retaliation for attacks on the Gulf, though the countries involved have largely denied these accounts.

The UAE’s decision to suspend economic ties with Iran was announced on Tuesday by foreign ministry communications director Afra Al Hameli, who said all trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran had been halted until further notice in light of regional escalation.

The UAE’s announcement followed accusations from Abu Dhabi that Iran had fired two ballistic missiles toward the country, a claim later clarified to refer to missiles directed at shipping rather than at UAE territory directly.

The move marks a significant shift for the two neighbours, which share deep cultural and historical ties across the Gulf, with the UAE previously serving as a major trading partner for Iran despite existing US sanctions and hosting a sizable Iranian community. The UAE had already recalled its ambassador from Tehran earlier in the conflict and has since closed Iran-linked schools and a hospital operating within its borders.