Gulf States Move to Prevent Escalation After Soleimani’s Killing - Bloomberg

Gulf States Move to Prevent Escalation After Soleimani’s Killing - Bloomberg:

Gulf Arab states, potential targets for retaliation after the U.S. assassinated Iran’s top general, are working on multiple tracks to try to keep tensions between Tehran and Washington from building into a military confrontation.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has instructed his younger brother, Deputy Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, to travel to Washington and London in the next few days to urge restraint, the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported, citing people it didn’t identify.

The threat of conflict offered the kingdom a rare opportunity for common cause with Qatar, which it’s shunned since June 2017. Qatar’s foreign minister was dispatched to Tehran with a similar appeal for calm. 

“The message from the Gulf to the U.S. is clear: They are telling Trump, ‘Please spare us the pain of going through another war that would be destructive to the region,’” said Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a political science professor in the neighboring United Arab Emirates. “We will be the first to pay the price for any military showdown, so it’s in our best interest not to see things get out of hand.”