Qatar and Oman are considered the Gulf states with the closest ties to Iran, but the Gulf’s powerhouses — the UAE and Saudi — have a fraught relationship with Tehran. They have long criticised the Islamic republic as a destabilising force and initially backed Trump’s so-called “maximum pressure” sanctions campaign.

Roughly one month ago, from the stage at an investment forum in Saudi Arabia, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a warning to Iran that would prove prophetic.

President Trump is nearing a decision on whether to join Israel's war against Iran, a choice that will reshape the Mideast and divide his Cabinet and his party.

President Trump said Thursday he will decide whether the United States will attack Iran “within the next two weeks,” adding in a statement released by the White House that “