As Iran continues to retaliate to the US-Israeli attack on it, the Arab League's assistant secretary-general Hossam Zaki has told CGTN that the Gulf nations "never asked for this war" – and has asked who benefits from Israel being in what is currently Lebanese territory. 

The conflict has constricted vital shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, and on Tuesday, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said "the future of the strait is something for all the region and the international partners to decide collectively." 

Zaki agrees that the key to progress is the sort of cooperation previously displayed by the various nations in the region.

"I think this is a wise opinion coming from Qatar," he told CGTN. "I think that has been the case prior to this war. The complications that happened after the start of the war are related to the war. 

"We certainly hope that those complications are not going to be turned into permanent arrangements. I hope they're going to be just that, tied to the war, and then after the war ends, there will be a comeback to the original arrangements, even if the original arrangement should include all those countries that are looking over the Gulf." 

In the Gulf War of 1990/91, Arab countries paid billions of dollars in contributions towards the military effort of removing Iraqi forces from Kuwait. The idea of payment has been floated again in the White House, but Zaki noted a fundamental difference between that coalition and the current conflict. 

"None of our member states, and certainly not those Gulf countries, have asked for this war, wanted this war to last," he said. "So I'm wondering, and I'm sure a lot of our other member states would be wondering as well, why would anyone want Arab countries to foot the bill for a war that they did not ask for?"

Lack of support 

US President Donald Trump has faced considerable global opposition to the attack, and has reacted angrily to a lack of support from Europe. Asked if he thought Trump felt the same about Arab nations, Zaki – who was previously Egypt's Ambassador to Brazil and Assistant Foreign Minister for European Affairs – was forthright in his response. 

"I don't know, you'd have to ask him about that," he said. "But I can tell you, looking at the situation from our own perspective, I think we've done more than enough. Our member states have been suffering. 

"Just today, the UN has issued a report estimating the losses of the month of military activities in the Gulf and Iran to be around $260 billion for the Arab countries. This is a huge amount of money. 

"So if it was only that, I think that's more than enough for countries, again, that have never asked for this war, that never wanted it to continue and want to see the end of it sooner rather than later."

Israel and Lebanon: 'Who would want the cycle to restart?' 

One leader who has been at Trump's side is Benjamin Netanyahu, and since Hezbollah launched rockets in solidarity with Iran, Israel has attacked Lebanon with repeated airstrikes followed by a ground incursion into the south of the country. 

Defense Minister Israel Katz says the country will establish a buffer zone inside southern Lebanon and maintain control over the entire area up to the Litani River once the conflict with Hezbollah ends. 

Zaki told CGTN that continuing Israeli presence in what has been Lebanese territory will only exacerbate tensions and incite "resistance". 

"The Lebanese government has taken all the necessary procedures and decisions that would enable it to become the sole bearer of arms and weapons on its territory," he said. "This is a very difficult undertaking, especially in view of the fact that Hezbollah has been building up its arsenal for about 40 years. 

"The international community also needs to come in and put pressure on the Israelis because, simply put, the Israelis' presence on the ground in southern Lebanon will get us back to where we were before the Israeli withdrawal of 2000, meaning that Israel occupies parts of the Lebanese territory, which opens the door for Lebanese resistance. 

"Who would want that? After all what we've been through, who would want the cycle to restart again? I hope that the Israelis do not want it, because if they do, that would be very Machiavellian, and I think it would be counterproductive, and it will not serve anybody's purpose – including the Israelis." 

'Not a good omen' 

As a career diplomat, Zaki would love to be optimistic about a swift end to the conflict – but he's experienced enough to have his doubts.

"If it's only by wishful thinking, I just hope that tomorrow morning things will be over," he said. "But experience has taught us that when you amass military power, the United States especially is bound to use them. 

"We're afraid that what we see on the ground and in the seas around this area means that there is still the intention of using additional forces. That's not a good omen for this war, it might be opening up another phase. 

"Yet I still have considerable hope that the US president will heed the calls from the Arab side and other international leaders to put a swift end to this war."