Saudi Arabia sent a message to Washington and London about the need to de-escalate the situation between the US and Iran, as Riyadh is concerned about its vulnerability to Iranian missile attacks - and is not sure of Donald Trump's long-term commitment to his allies in the Persian Gulf, The Guardian reported.

Following the assassination of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, this message was sent through diplomatic channels, as well as personally transmitted by the Deputy Minister of Defense of Saudi Arabia, Prince Khalid bin Salman.

"He held meetings this week with Trump and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, in Washington and then in London with the defence secretary, Ben Wallace; Britain’s senior defence adviser for the Middle East, Lt Gen Sir John Lorimer; and the prime minister’s foreign policy adviser, David Quarrey. He also met senior figures in the Foreign Office," the source noted.

Analysts say Riyadh's message was that it did not want its territory to be at the forefront of the attack on Iran, even if it knew it could not avoid involvement if the conflict developed.

Many Iranian commanders warned the Gulf states of the consequences if their territories became a launching pad for attacks on Tehran after assassination of Soleimani.

Saudi Arabia’s vulnerability to Iran became apparent last September after a drone and missile attack on the country's oil facilities. Riyadh was surprised that the attack did not lead to a military response from the Trump administration, even though US intelligence announced that it had blamed Iran for the attacks, and the White House called the attack a declaration of war.

It is expected that the yet unpublished UN report in the near future will indirectly confirm the approval of the Americans.

But the publication of the UN report four months after the attack will only serve as a reminder to Riyadh of America's insecurity. Trump was not ready to strike to defend Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure, but he was prepared to risk killing Iran’s highest-ranking military leader after storming the US embassy in Baghdad.

The episode only confirmed Trump’s claim in October that Saudi Arabia “would not last more than two weeks” without US military protection.

Trump's policies in the region may require the restoration of some shattered alliances.

"Indeed, there has been a year-long trend in Riyadh to try slowly to dial down some of the conflicts in which it has embroiled itself including Yemen, with its Gulf neighbour Qatar, and, more broadly, with Iran. In the context of the Saudis chairing the G20 this year, Riyadh wants a less confrontational image. Female drivers, concerts by Swedish House Mafia and the promise of mass tourism is not enough," the source added.

Qatar, where the US airbase is located, which could become a potential launching pad for any American war against Iran, did not hide its loyalty. After the assassination of Soleimani, the Qatar Foreign Minister visited Tehran, met with President Hassan Rouhani and expressed his condolences.

Regarding the easing of Saudi-Iranian tensions, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi said he was due to meet with Solemani on the day of his murder. He said that Soleimani brought a message from the Iranian supreme leader in response to a message from Saudi Arabia transmitted through Iraq to Iran about “important agreements and breakthroughs in Iraq and the region”.

The constant theme of Iranian foreign policy is that the entire region will benefit from the withdrawal of US troops from the region, starting with Iraq. Iranian Foreign Minister urged countries around the Strait of Hormuz this week to form an alliance. “We – all of us, let me underline – should abandon the paradigm of elimination and antagonism premised on the illusion of purchasing security and development from without.”

"Global thinktanks are littered with reports setting out the path to a Saudi-Iran rapprochement, and perhaps the best that can be secured in the foreseeable future is a limited non-aggression pact. That would be an advance on all-out war," CNN concuded.