CIA says intelligence indicates Iran nuclear programme ‘severely damaged’

Gulf states relieved as ceasefire appears to holdpublished at 18:26 British Summer Time 25 June

18:26 BST 25 June

Sameer Hashmi
Reporting from Dubai

The Arab Gulf nations are relieved and hoping that the ceasefire between Israel and Iran will continue to hold.

Since the conflict began, some Gulf states – including Qatar, Saudi Arabia
and Oman – engaged in frantic backchannel diplomacy with US President Donald Trump.

But the moment Trump decided to strike nuclear sites in Iran, Gulf
leaders knew the gloves were off.

There was a palpable sense of anxiety after Iran’s attack on the US military base in Qatar on Monday. The region
is home to several US military bases, with 40,000 to 50,000 soldiers
stationed there.

Iran’s choice to strike the US base in Qatar came as a surprise
to many. The Qataris have built a
unique position as a neutral mediator, maintaining close relations with both
the US and Iran.

But Tehran viewed it as a way to send a message without damaging its relationship with Doha. It also gave
advance notice to both the US and Qatar.

The strategy seems to have worked.

Qatar called the attacks a “flagrant
violation” of its sovereignty and international law, but its Prime
Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani expressed
optimism that ties would “come back to normal” over time.