Bloomberg: Israel's rapid attacks on Iran catch Gulf countries off guard.

Gate News bot reported that, according to Bloomberg, 48 hours before Israel’s attack on Iran last week, Tehran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with the Saudi Foreign Minister at the annual diplomatic retreat held in Norway.

At a hotel on a forest estate outside Oslo, Mr. Aragerchi briefed Prince Faisal Bin Farhan on the progress of the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, according to people familiar with the matter. Prince Faisal reiterated what Saudi Arabia has been saying to Iran for months, including what Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said during his visit to Tehran in April this year: Israel wants to attack you; Reach an agreement with the United States as soon as possible.

Neither side anticipated that, two days later, Israeli bombs would fall on Tehran and Iranian nuclear facilities, effectively stifling U.S. negotiations and pushing the Middle East to the brink of another major war that could destabilize the entire region.

According to several informed sources, Gulf countries have been working for years to ease relations with their arch-rival Iran, including providing billions of dollars in investments to make any nuclear deal more attractive. Now, they find themselves considering the implications of a protracted conflict, as Tehran may target their oil infrastructure, hindering their ambitious economic development plans, while their close military cooperation with the United States has embroiled them in crossfire.

Israel’s intentions have long been known. However, according to informed sources, Arab countries are still shocked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attacks during the US-Iran negotiations. These sources added that they seem to have misjudged President Donald Trump’s ability to restrain Netanyahu.

As the United States is preparing for a possible attack on Iran in the coming days, Gulf countries are seriously assessing the likelihood of the collapse of the Iranian Islamic Republic regime and the chaos that could ensue.