Gulf states may be covertly encouraging attacks by US, Iran's foreign minister says

"Abbas Araghchi demanded clarification on reports that Mohammed bin Salman was in regular private conversations with Donald Trump urging the US president to continue hitting the Iranians hard. Araghchi was responding to the second US media report in a week claiming the Saudi crown prince's public opposition to the US attacks on Iran did not reflect his private position."

"Are we being asked to stand idly by while US bases in your countries are being used to attack us? The confrontation today is between America and Israel on the one hand, and the Muslim Iran and the forces of resistance on the other."

"Iranian attacks escalated on Monday, with drone strikes in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, in one of its most comprehensive sets of assaults since the war started. Iran also vowed to keep the strait of Hormuz closed indefinitely to enemies and those supporting their aggression."

Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi accused Gulf states hosting US forces of secretly encouraging attacks on Iran, specifically targeting Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for allegedly urging Donald Trump to continue military strikes while publicly opposing them. Iran reported hundreds of civilian casualties, including over 200 children, from US-Israeli attacks. Iran's national security council secretary Ali Larijani appealed to Muslim populations in Gulf states to reconsider their alignment, questioning why Islamic nations had not supported Iran. He defended Iranian attacks on Gulf states as responses to US military bases being used against Iran. Iranian drone strikes escalated across Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE. Iran threatened to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed to enemies and supporters of aggression, while hardliner Mohsen Rezaee was appointed as military adviser, signaling a more uncompromising stance.

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