President Donald Trump has said the United States will hold off on new strikes against Iran if a deal to end the months-long conflict can be reached quickly, after Saudi Arabia’s crown prince intervened and Tehran warned its neighbours they would face retaliation. The statement marks a significant reversal in a confrontation that has brought the Middle East close to the brink of all-out war, and it came as fresh attacks were reported in the Gulf.
Announcing the shift on Saturday night, Trump said any pause was «subject to being able to rapidly make a deal». The condition left open the possibility that military action could resume if an agreement did not materialise. Saturday’s statement was the latest climbdown from earlier threats to hit the Iranian regime hard, although the president continued to insist that the US remains ready to strike if needed.
According to reports, the reversal followed a telephone call from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who expressed concerns about Trump’s strike plans. The crown prince, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, is anxious to prevent the conflict from spiralling into a full-scale regional war that could engulf Gulf states. His intervention, revealed as Trump announced the decision, is the clearest indication yet that the kingdom and its neighbours are pressing Washington for restraint.
Tehran had also been sending direct warnings to the region. Iran said it would retaliate decisively against neighbouring countries in the event of US strikes, making clear that Gulf states could not assume they would be spared. The warning sharpened anxieties in capitals already worried about being drawn into a war not of their making, and it underlined the difficulty of keeping any confrontation confined to a direct US-Iran exchange.
On Saturday itself there were fresh signs that the conflict is spreading. Kuwait reported being hit by Iranian drones, and two ships were attacked off Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for global oil shipments. The attacks underscored the fragility of Gulf security and raised the stakes for every state in the region.
Trump had spent Friday at Camp David, the presidential retreat, before returning from the trip, and his comments point to a recalibration of his approach. He has repeatedly said he is open to a new peace deal with Iran while warning that the US is «locked and loaded» if no agreement is reached. The combination of open diplomacy and explicit military warning has become a familiar pattern in his handling of the crisis.
The latest exchange leaves the conflict in a precarious position. The door to a negotiated settlement has been opened, but only for as long as a deal can be reached quickly. With Gulf capitals nervous about further escalation and Tehran insisting it will respond forcefully to any attack, the coming days will test whether the months-long confrontation can be brought to a close.
