Trump postpones Iran escalation following Gulf diplomatic pressure: Reports

US President Donald Trump has temporarily delayed a planned major military escalation against Iran following high-level diplomatic pressure from key Gulf allies, according to reports on Sunday.

The decision followed a pivotal phone call from Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who urged de-escalation and requested clarity on Washington’s “plan of action,” Axios reported.

The Wall Street Journal noted that Gulf countries have grown increasingly frustrated with the perceived lack of a clear US strategy as the war continues to subject their territories to frequent Iranian retaliatory strikes.

READ: Trump cancels planned strikes on Iran to allow for talks on peace deal

While Saudi Arabia led the push for dialogue, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reportedly lobbied the US president in recent days to take more decisive military action, according to the Wall Street Journal. Despite these divided regional perspectives, Israeli officials understand that Trump currently prefers a negotiated settlement to avoid the extreme costs of a return to full-scale regional warfare, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Trump claimed on his social media platform Truth Social on Saturday that he canceled the strike because Tehran and other Middle Eastern nations requested time to finalize a peace framework. He asserted that the sides reached “perimeters” for a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

However, the semi-official Fars News Agency quoted an Iranian source who dismissed these claims as a “lie,” stating Iran denied the request and said no agreement regarding the waterway has been reached.