NEW YORK, March 31. /TASS/. Several Gulf states, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are calling on the United States to continue the military operation against Iran, AP quoted unnamed officials from the United States, Israel and the Persian Gulf countries as saying.

AP said that UAE, Saudi Arabian, Kuwaiti and Bahraini officials said in private conversations that they would like to continue the American-Israeli military operation until radical changes take place in the leadership of the Islamic Republic, or a radical change of mood takes place in the Iranian leadership.

According to the agency, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are the most belligerent, while Oman and Qatar are inclined towards a diplomatic settlement.

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran, hitting major cities, including Tehran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps retaliated with a sweeping attack on Israel. US military installations in Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were also pummeled.

Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to ships associated with the United States, Israel and the countries that supported aggression against the Islamic Republic. During the conflict, several tankers were attacked for passing through the strait without Tehran’s permission. On March 25, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran had allowed passage through the Strait of Hormuz to friendly countries, including Russia, India, Iraq, China and Pakistan.