White House Says Trump Wants Arab States to Share Iran War Costs
President Donald Trump is signaling that diplomacy remains his preferred path in the escalating crisis with Iran, even as military threats and regional violence continue to intensify, according to Al Jazeera News.
In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Trump is still focused on a diplomatic resolution to the conflict and that indirect communication channels with Tehran remain active. According to Rubio, talks are continuing through intermediaries despite the sharp rise in hostilities.
The diplomatic message comes against the backdrop of increasingly forceful rhetoric from the White House. Trump had earlier warned that the United States could target Iran’s civilian energy infrastructure including power plants, oil wells, and the strategically vital Kharg Island export terminal, if Tehran refuses to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global oil shipping route.
Meanwhile, the conflict is spilling further across the region. In Israel, a missile strike triggered a fire at the Bazan oil refinery in the northern city of Haifa, raising fresh concerns over the vulnerability of critical energy facilities.
The violence has also affected Gulf states. Kuwait confirmed that an Indian worker was killed in an Iranian strike on a power generation and desalination facility, underscoring the growing civilian toll. Several Gulf countries have also reported intercepting drones and missiles, suggesting the confrontation is widening beyond the immediate Iran-Israel theater.
At the White House, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump is also considering a financial dimension to the conflict. She told reporters that the president is interested in urging Arab nations to help bear the cost of any military campaign involving Iran.
“It’s an idea that I know he has,” Leavitt said, adding that more could be heard directly from Trump on the issue soon.
The latest developments point to a deeply volatile situation in which diplomacy, military threats, and regional spillover are unfolding simultaneously.
