Gulf states fear escalation as U.S. Iran strikes rattle region
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(Bloomberg) — Iran's Arab neighbors urged restraint and warned of potentially devastating implications for the region after US strikes on Tehran's nuclear program raised the prospects for all-out war in the Middle East.
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In statements on Sunday, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry condemned the violation of Iran's sovereignty, Qatar warned it would have 'disastrous consequences,' and Oman called it 'illegal.' Those countries, and the United Arab Emirates, have spent months trying to use their geopolitical and economic heft to bolster nuclear talks between the Americans and Iran.
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They spent the week since Israel launched an unprecedented attack on Tehran trying to keep the US from directly intervening. Saturday night's bombings have shown just how much they are hostage to forces completely outside their control.
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'I don't think the Arab Gulf states have much control over the course of events at this stage,' said Hasan Alhasan, Senior Fellow for Middle East Policy at IISS in Manama, Bahrain. 'There is no guarantee that any of the warring parties, Iran, Israel or the US, will take Gulf interests into account.'
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In a press conference on Sunday, Iran's foreign minister said he'd spoken with counterparts across the region the day before who were 'worried about a possible attack by the United States.'
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'Almost all of them are very much concerned and interested to play a role to end this aggression by Israel,' Abbas Araghchi said.
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Within the region, there was evidence of growing disquiet, with people stockpiling supplies in the UAE and Kuwait. Meanwhile, British Airways halted flights to Dubai and Doha, two of the region's economic centers.
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It's a stark contrast from just over a month ago when US President Donald Trump visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE on his first scheduled foreign trip since returning to office. There, he touted the potential for trillions of dollars-worth of trade and investments between the US and the Gulf.
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Leaders are 'forging a future where the Middle East is defined by commerce, not chaos,' Trump said in the Saudi capital, 'where people of different nations, religions, and creeds are building cities together, not bombing each other out of existence. We don't want that.'
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The Gulf Arab states have sought to leverage their natural resources and trillion-dollar sovereign wealth funds to diversify their economies and emerge as significant geopolitical players. They've acted as key go-betweens during the US-Iran nuclear talks, urging a deal for the sake of regional stability and economic prosperity.
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Winnipeg Free Press
22 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
ICE detains Marine Corps veteran's wife who was still breastfeeding their child
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Marine Corps veteran Adrian Clouatre doesn't know how to tell his children where their mother went after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained her last month. When his nearly 2-year-old son Noah asks for his mother before bed, Clouatre just tells him, 'Mama will be back soon.' When his 3-month-old, breastfeeding daughter Lyn is hungry, he gives her a bottle of baby formula instead. He's worried how his newborn will bond with her mother absent skin-to-skin contact. His wife, Paola, is one of tens of thousands of people in custody and facing deportation as the Trump administration pushes for immigration officers to arrest 3,000 people a day. Even as Marine Corps recruiters promote enlistment as protection for families lacking legal status, directives for strict immigrant enforcement have cast away practices of deference previously afforded to military families, immigration law experts say. The federal agency tasked with helping military family members gain legal status now refers them for deportation, government memos show. To visit his wife, Adrian Clouatre has to make an eight-hour round trip from their home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to a rural ICE detention center in Monroe. Clouatre, who qualifies as a service-disabled veteran, goes every chance he can get. Paola Clouatre, a 25-year-old Mexican national whose mother brought her into the country illegally more than a decade ago, met Adrian Clouatre, 26, at a southern California nightclub during the final months of his five years of military service in 2022. Within a year, they had tattooed each other's names on their arms. After they married in 2024, Paola Clouatre sought a green card to legally live and work in the U.S. Adrian Clouatre said he is 'not a very political person' but believes his wife deserved to live legally in the U.S. 'I'm all for 'get the criminals out of the country,' right?' he said. 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After Paola Clouatre explained that she was trying to reopen her case, the staffer asked her and her husband to wait in the lobby for paperwork regarding a follow-up appointment, which her husband said he believed was a 'ploy.' Soon, officers arrived and handcuffed Paola Clouatre, who handed her wedding ring to her husband for safekeeping. Adrian Clouatre, eyes welling with tears, said he and his wife had tried to 'do the right thing' and that he felt ICE officers should have more discretion over arrests, though he understood they were trying to do their jobs. 'It's just a hell of a way to treat a veteran,' said Carey Holliday, a former immigration judge who is now representing the couple. 'You take their wives and send them back to Mexico?' The Clouatres filed a motion for a California-based immigration judge to reopen the case on Paola's deportation order and are waiting to hear back, Holliday said. Less discretion for military families Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in an emailed statement that Paola Clouatre 'is in the country illegally' and that the administration is 'not going to ignore the rule of law.' 'Ignoring an Immigration Judge's order to leave the U.S. is a bad idea,' U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said in a June 9 post on X which appeared to refer to Clouatre's case. The agency added that the government 'has a long memory and no tolerance for defiance when it comes to making America safe again.' Prior to the Trump administration's push to drive up deportations, USCIS provided much more discretion for veterans seeking legal status for a family member, said Holliday and Margaret Stock, a military immigration law expert. In a Feb. 28 memo, the agency said it 'will no longer exempt' from deportation people in groups that had received more grace in the past. This includes the families of military personnel or veterans, Stock said. As of June 12, the agency said it has referred upward of 26,000 cases to ICE for deportation. USCIS still offers a program allowing family members of military personnel who illegally entered the U.S. to remain in the country as they apply for a green card. But there no longer appears to be room for leeway, such as giving a veteran's spouse like Paola Clouatre the opportunity to halt her active deportation order without facing arrest, Stock said. But numerous Marine Corps recruiters have continued to post ads on social media, geared toward Latinos, promoting enlistment as a way to gain 'protection from deportation' for family members. 'I think it's bad for them to be advertising that people are going to get immigration benefits when it appears that the administration is no longer offering these immigration benefits,' Stock said. 'It sends the wrong message to the recruits.' Marine Corps spokesperson Master Sgt. Tyler Hlavac told The Associated Press that recruiters have now been informed they are 'not the proper authority' to 'imply that the Marine Corps can secure immigration relief for applicants or their families.' ___ Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Globe and Mail
3 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Ottawa advises Canadians to leave Iran or stay near a bomb shelter
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According to Global Affairs, Canada has boosted the number of consular staff in neighbouring countries and in the past week has sent diplomatic staff to the borders in Turkey and Armenia to help Canadians crossing from Iran. Speaking to reporters in Brussels on Sunday, Ms. Anand urged Canadians in Iran to register with Global Affairs, saying they would be contacted directly by government officials with advice about how to get back to Canada. She says that in her call with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi she 'emphasized the importance of the safety and security of Canadian citizens in the region.' U.S. military officials say they are not pursuing war with Iran after striking key nuclear sites Ottawa has been helping Canadians in Israel and Iran find seats on commercial flights to Canada after they cross into neighbouring countries since the conflict between Israel and Iran escalated earlier this month. But Canadians visiting Israel, who included former Conservative MPs Michelle Ferreri and Rick Perkins, have said they had to make their own way to Jordan to board flights after the bombing started. In the past few days, Global Affairs has been arranging buses to the borders for Canadians. But in a statement on Sunday evening, it said that day's planned departure from Israel over land had to be postponed until Monday. It said it is in 'regular communication with Canadians who have requested assistance in Iran, Israel and the West Bank.' After the U.S. strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran, 'we are reviewing our mission security posture across the region in close collaboration with our international partners,' it added. Global Affairs has deployed more than 20 members of its Standing Rapid Deployment Team to Israel, the West Bank, Jordan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Greece, Cyprus and Armenia to help hundreds of personnel already on the ground. But it said Canada is unable to provide assistance within Iran because it has no embassy there. Canadians fleeing war in Iran face obstacles in absence of diplomatic ties Ottawa facing criticism for not doing more to help Canadians leave Middle East On Sunday, after the U.S. strikes on Iran, Israel reopened its airspace during the day to allow flights. Israel's Airports Authority said flights departing Israel would expand on Monday. Israeli airline El Al is reported to have already received 25,000 inquiries about leaving the country. In Iran, the airspace remains closed. Mona Ghassemi, president of the Iranian-Canadian Congress, said on Sunday that 'enough is not being done' by Ottawa to help Canadians leave Iran. 'From what we have heard, it seems to be not enough as Iranians reaching the emergency number were told it was up to them to get to the border to get a flight from a neighbouring country,' she said, adding that because there is an internet blackout, it is hard to reach people in Iran at the moment. More than 4,000 Canadian citizens were registered as being in Iran earlier this month. Maryam Marissen, a Canadian-Iranian from Vancouver with relatives in Iran, said a Canadian cousin is trying to leave the country, but without the internet, it is hard for them to access information, including security updates and travel advice from Ottawa. She said Canadians with family or friends in Iran have been trying to keep them updated about the situation by phone. 'It's really troubling,' she said. 'Right now, people are just relying on news outlets, and there is a lot of confusion. You really would have to have people on this side, finding the information for you and trying to get it to you.' In an interview on Friday, Setareh Shariati described how she had travelled to Tehran on June 1 for knee surgery that she had been waiting months to receive in Canada. Taking leave from her job at the University of British Columbia, she didn't expect to spend her recovery in a war zone. She is a permanent resident in Canada, but Ms. Shariati said she was denied services from the Canadian embassy in Turkey, which is only supporting citizens. She said recent surgery prevents her from being able to drive to the Iranian border, and even then, she's unsure where she'd go or how she'd get to Vancouver. A 20-litre per car per day gas ration further complicates leaving Tehran. The city is more than 1,000 kilometres away from the nearest bordering countries. 'The roads leading out of the city are basically lost to traffic. Everyone is trying to leave, and gas is really hard to come by,' Ms. Shariati said.
Vancouver Sun
3 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
World braces for Iran's response after U.S. strikes signal new era
(Bloomberg) — The unprecedented US airstrikes on Iran have set traders and governments worldwide on edge, as the Islamic Republic warns of retaliation and Israel shows no sign of letting up in its assault. President Donald Trump's decision to deploy bunker-busting bombs, Washington's first direct military action against Iran after decades of hostility, has pushed the Middle East into uncharted territory and raised geopolitical risk in a world economy already facing severe uncertainty over his trade war. Oil rose almost 6% when markets opened Monday morning in Asia, with analysts warning $100 a barrel is in sight depending on Iran's further response to the conflict, which began June 13 with a surprise attack by Israel. The US dollar pushed higher, stock futures fell and Bitcoin slid below $100,000 for the first time since early May. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The extensive US operation — which targeted nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — included 125 aircraft, strikes by Tomahawk missiles launched from a submarine and the use of 14 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs, the first time such bunker busters were used in combat. At the United Nations on Sunday, Iranian Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told an emergency Security Council meeting that the 'timing nature and scale' of Tehran's response 'will be decided by its armed forces.' Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier said the country reserves all options to respond. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which answers to the Iran's supreme leader, signaled US military bases in the region could be targeted. Trump has vowed to meet any retaliation with force 'far greater' than the US strikes on the nuclear sites. He also floated the possibility of regime change in Iran, although US and Israeli officials Sunday stressed that isn't their aim. Police in New York, Washington and Los Angeles increased patrols at religious institutions, diplomatic facilities and public spaces. Officials cited no immediate credible threats but highlighted the need for vigilance. The Department of Homeland Security said the Israel-Iran war has placed the US in a 'heightened threat environment' through Sept. 22. It's still unclear how successful the US strikes were in eliminating Iran's most heavily protected enrichment site at Fordow. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which officially has the task of monitoring Iran's program, told the UN Security Council on Sunday that no one yet knows the condition of the facility, nor the location of Iran's more than 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%. Any move by Tehran to harass traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major artery for global crude and natural gas, has raised the specter of a spike in energy prices at a fragile moment for the global economy. The World Bank, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the International Monetary Fund have all downgraded their growth forecasts in recent months. 'An expanding conflict adds to the risk of higher oil prices and an upward impulse to inflation,' Bloomberg Economics analysts including Ziad Daoud wrote in a report. Naval forces in the region warned that ships, especially US-linked vessels, could be at heightened risk. Greece, home to more oil-tanker capacity than any other nation, cautioned its ship owners to think again if they're considering entering the Persian Gulf. Two supertankers both capable of hauling about 2 million barrels of crude U-turned in the Strait of Hormuz, entering the waterway then abruptly changing course on Sunday. British Airways and Singapore Airlines canceled flights to the Persian Gulf, increasing aviation disruptions in the region. While the US action was condemned by the likes of Russia and China, even allies such as UK and France distanced themselves from Trump's decision. Iran, meanwhile, finds itself isolated. Tehran's top allies — Russia and China — are offering only rhetorical support, while the militia groups Tehran has armed and funded for years are refusing or unable to enter the fight. Iran's Araghchi said he plans to travel to Moscow, although Russian officials have made it clear that a cooperation treaty the two countries signed in January doesn't include mutual-defense obligations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged in a news conference to continue Israel's military campaign in Iran as well as in the Gaza Strip. The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday it hit a surface-to-air missile launcher in Tehran, while in western Iran, Israeli jets struck infrastructure for storage and missile launches as well as satellites and military radar sites.
