The United Arab Emirates and Qatar are secretly lobbying allies to convince President Donald Trump to choose a path that would allow for a reduction in US military operations against Iran, Bloomberg reports citing sources.

The countries are seeking to build a broad coalition for a swift diplomatic end to the conflict in order to prevent regional escalation and a prolonged shock to energy markets, sources said.

Qatar has warned that if shipping lanes in the region remain severely disrupted by mid-week, a more significant market reaction to natural gas prices is expected than the sharp spike recorded on Monday.

Qatar suspended liquefied natural gas production at the world's largest export facility after it was struck by an Iranian drone, causing gas prices in Europe to surge by more than 50%.

The UAE and Qatar are also working to rapidly upgrade their air defense systems, sources said. The UAE has requested assistance from allies in deploying medium-range air defense systems, while Qatar has sought support in countering drone attacks — which now pose a greater threat than ballistic missiles, sources noted. Internal analysis showed that Qatar's stock of Patriot interceptors would last four days at current usage rates.

UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani have held phone calls with several European leaders in recent days, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.