Iran Armed Forces Chief of Staff Warns Gulf States: Assisting US Military Equals 'Participation' in War

Iran's armed forces chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi, warned Persian Gulf states that 'any assistance or facilitation' provided to the US military 'amounts to participation in the US military operation' against Iran. He said Iranian forces are 'closely monitoring' Gulf states that publicly claim they will not let the US use their territory against Iran, and questioned how large numbers of military aircraft — particularly refueling tankers — could operate from regional bases without host governments' knowledge, saying 'nothing escapes our notice.' Several Gulf states host US military installations but have denied allowing their territory to be used to launch attacks on Iran. The warning came the same day the UAE announced it was suspending all trade with Tehran.