Tensions between the United States and Iran have intensified following reports that Washington could consider using a nuclear option against Tehran. The claims have triggered concern in Gulf countries, where Iranian officials have warned that states assisting a US operation could be treated as participants in the conflict.
The reported escalation follows remarks attributed to former US congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who claimed that Donald Trump was considering a nuclear attack on Iran. The source material does not establish that such a plan has been approved or that an attack is imminent. It says the reports prompted responses from Iranian political and military figures.
Fida Hossein Maleki, a member of Iran’s parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said he could not rule out what he described as a reckless move by Trump. At the same time, Maleki said he did not believe the US president would take such a step because it could push the world into a destructive war.
Asked how Iran would respond to a nuclear strike, Maleki said Tehran would answer with the same type and level of weapon used against it. He did not openly confirm whether Iran currently has a ready nuclear bomb. However, he claimed that Iran possesses dangerous and advanced weapons that have not yet been publicly revealed.
The warnings have added to uncertainty across the Gulf. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are identified in the reporting as countries affected by the threat of a wider confrontation. Iranian officials have said that any Gulf state allowing the United States to use its territory, bases or other facilities for an attack could be regarded as an ally of the American military.
Iranian military chief of staff Major General Ali Abdullahi questioned claims by Gulf states that they would not permit their territory to be used against Iran. He pointed to the presence of US fighter aircraft and aerial refuelling tankers at regional airbases, asking how those countries could maintain that they were uninvolved.
Abdullahi said Iran could not overlook assistance provided to attacking US forces. His warning has raised the possibility that bases in Gulf countries could become targets if an American operation against Iran were launched from the region.
The reporting also links the confrontation to potential disruption beyond the immediate battlefield. It says a wider conflict could affect crude oil supplies, drive up petrol and diesel prices, and damage the global economy. Those claims have contributed to concern among leaders about the consequences of a direct US-Iran confrontation involving nuclear threats.
