Gulf states warn Iran they will hit back if attacked, WSJ reports

Several Arab Gulf states have warned Tehran they may respond, alone or together, if Iran strikes their economic and civilian infrastructure, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday. The warnings come as the Gulf prepares for a possible heavy American attack on Iran as early as this week.

According to the Journal, which cited people involved in the mediation, Gulf governments fear Iranian retaliation would be more destructive than what they absorbed at the peak of the war in March. The paper said Iran lacks the firepower to stop American and Israeli air strikes. Its strategy, the report said, is to raise the cost quickly by hitting more vulnerable neighbors across the Gulf.

Hebrew-language outlets, including Srugim, reported that the Gulf message is simple: stay out of it if Iran stays off their territory, and expect a hard response if it does not.

Trump weighs a strike after the midterms

The Journal reported that President Donald Trump is leaning toward ordering a broad attack after Tuesday's US midterm elections. It could target Iranian infrastructure and nuclear facilities. He has not made a final decision.

People familiar with his Saturday call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the paper that Trump wants to give diplomacy a chance first. Netanyahu pressed for action right after the elections, they said. One source said the IDF has prepared strike plans and is on high alert.

At a rally in Iowa on Sunday, Trump said the only reason he has not "finished" with Iran is that he wants to be nice and save lives if he can. "At some point we'll have to hit them with the hammer," he said, in a translation from Hebrew reports.

The US military has prepared strike options, restocked munitions in the region and moved troops away from vulnerable bases, the Journal said. Another Patriot interceptor system was sent to Israel. The head of US Central Command, Adm. Brad Cooper, briefed Trump at the White House on Thursday. The paper noted he rarely briefs the president in person.

Talks stuck on who moves first

The main diplomatic channel, run by Qatar, is stalled over who makes the first concession, mediators told the paper. The dispute centers on the US naval blockade and Iran's nuclear program.

Qatar proposed a seven-day period in which both sides would lift restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran says mediators arrived in Tehran on Friday with an updated plan cutting that to two days. Under another Qatari idea, the US would ease the blockade if Iran stopped attacking ships in the strait for an agreed number of days. Iran would then let international nuclear inspectors back in and begin discussing its enriched uranium stockpile. Washington would lift some sanctions once checks were complete.

Mediators said the US is reluctant to ease the blockade before clear progress on the nuclear file. Officials fear Iran would use the time to move delayed oil shipments out of the Gulf.

Iran has not formally answered a letter Vice President JD Vance sent in late October asking to open talks with Mohsen Rezaei, an Iranian national security figure, according to the mediators. Tehran received it politely but has not agreed to meet. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday, per the IRNA news agency, that Iran is trying to solve the problem through dialogue and that the Supreme Leader has given the government certain powers. He gave no details. Senior Iranian officials warned over the weekend that any attack would meet an unrestrained response.

Gulf states prepare

Qatar and the UAE are running security drills, including at airports. Attendees at a major energy conference in Abu Dhabi are cutting their stays short on their governments' advice. In Riyadh, which the Iran-backed Houthis also target, schools will stay remote this week. The Dutch and Belgian embassies in the region warned Thursday that the security situation could deteriorate fast.

Anwar Gargash, a senior adviser to the UAE president, said the country hopes diplomacy succeeds but is "preparing for the worst." Egypt's foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, said another round of escalation would be more destructive. Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group told the paper escalation looks unavoidable because the gaps remain substantial.

Brent crude futures fell more than 6% on hopes of a deal.