Trump says Gulf leaders asked him to 'hold off' on resuming Iran war

“Trump says Gulf leaders asked him to 'hold off' on resuming Iran war Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 05/18/2026 - 20:11 A 'large scale assault' was 'scheduled' for Tuesday, the US president said US President Donald Trump returns to the White House in Washington, DC, after his trip to China, on 15 May 2026 (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters) Off The US will no longer resume its "full, large scale" war on Iran on Tuesday, because Gulf leaders have requested Washington to hold off, President Donald Trump has said . "I have been asked by the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to hold off on our planned Military attack of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was scheduled for tomorrow, in that serious negotiations are now taking place, and that, in their opinion, as Great Leaders and Allies, a Deal will be made," the US president wrote on his TruthSocial account on Monday. That prospective deal "will be very acceptable to the United States of America", and "will include, importantly, NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN!" Trump added. He said his "respect" for the rulers of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE led him to accept their request. The US military will be "prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached," the president warned. A shaky ceasefire has been in place since mid-April, brokered by Pakistan, following some 40 days of war. On Friday, Bloomberg reported that the UAE made a failed bid to convince Saudi Arabia and Qatar to launch a joint military response to Iran’s attacks on the Gulf. UAE UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed held a series of calls with Gulf leaders, including Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, shortly after the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February. Tehran responded by launching thousands of missiles and drones at the Gulf states. UAE and Israel established fund for joint defence acquisition, sources say Read More » The UAE, which normalised ties with Israel in 202o under the Abraham Accords, bore the brunt of the retaliation, with almost 3,000 missiles and drones striking the country. The war has drawn Israel and the UAE even closer. Middle East Eye reported on Monday that the two countries have established a joint defence acquisition fund to acquire and develop new weapons systems. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other Gulf leaders rebuffed Mohamed bin Zayed’s request for a coordinated Gulf attack on Iran. It has now been reported that both Saudi Arabia and the UAE launched retaliatory strikes on Iran, but did so independently. The UAE targeted Iranian energy sites. The Wall Street Journal reported the UAE hit Iran’s Lavan Island in the Gulf in early April, around the time the US was announcing a ceasefire. Saudi Arabia’s strikes have been described by analysts as measured, and the kingdom quickly pivoted to supporting mediation efforts by its ally, Pakistan. At the same time, the kingdom has floated a non-aggression pact between Iran and Middle Eastern states based on a 1970s agreement that eased tensions in Europe during the Cold War, The Financial Times reported last week. The Saudi Arabian efforts have gained the support of European capitals and EU institutions, but it's unclear if Israel and the US would support it. War on Iran News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

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