Iran threatens Arab states to help Israel and USA
Israel has threatened Tehran with “deadly and precise” retaliation after Iran fired about 200 rockets at Israel in early October. The WSJ now reported, citing Arab officials, that if this were to happen, Iran would respond with devastating strikes on Israel’s civilian infrastructure and retaliate against any Arab state that supported the attack. Although the Iranian threats were vague, they raised concerns in oil-rich states that their oil facilities could be hit. US military facilities and forces in the region could also be at risk.
US defense officials confirmed, according to the newspaper, that some regional partners had told the Pentagon that they did not want Israeli warplanes to fly over their territory or US troops to launch offensive operations from within or over their airspace. Arab countries have said U.S. forces could be used in self-defense, the officials said.
The US supports Israel’s right to self-defense but urges limiting the response to prevent fighting from spreading throughout the region.