Washington, DC, March 23 (ANI): As the West Asia and Gulf conflict moves into its fourth week with little sign of cooling, senior officials from several Gulf capitals told The Times of Israel they are urging Washington to continue striking Iran. Speaking on condition of anonymity, representatives from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain said they want Iran’s military capabilities reduced before any ceasefire is agreed. Some officials said their countries even considered joining an offensive to that end.
Despite frustration with aspects of how the US and Israel have executed operations in the region, Gulf leaders fear ending hostilities while Iran still possesses the means used to strike Gulf Cooperation Council states would be a strategic disaster. They do not expect strikes to topple Iran’s government, several officials agreed, but said degrading its military capacity is essential to reducing future threats.
One official suggested that Iran might be sufficiently deterred rather than defeated, and that the campaign could stretch on until it yields diminishing returns. Gulf states also said they will likely boost spending on anti-drone and air-defence systems after the fighting to better protect against any future Iranian attacks.
The wider confrontation, which began in late February, has featured repeated exchanges of strikes and raised concerns about broader regional escalation as well as potential disruptions to global energy supplies and security dynamics. (ANI)
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