Trump Says US Delayed Planned Iran Strike After Gulf Nations Sought More Time for Diplomacy

Washington, May 2026 : US President Donald Trump said that he postponed a planned military strike on Iran following urgent appeals from Gulf leaders who requested additional time for diplomatic efforts, raising hopes of a possible breakthrough in the tense standoff over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Speaking during a healthcare event at the White House, Trump revealed that the United States had been preparing for what he described as a “very major attack” on Iran, potentially as early as Tuesday. However, he said the operation was delayed after intervention from leaders in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and other regional partners.

“Well, other countries have come to me and they said we were getting ready to do a very major attack tomorrow,” Trump told reporters. “I’ve put it off for a little while, hopefully, maybe forever.”

According to Trump, Gulf nations conveyed that diplomatic talks with Tehran were making significant progress and urged Washington to allow negotiations a short window to continue. He indicated that the United States was willing to wait briefly if there remained a realistic chance of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons through diplomacy.

“I was asked by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE and some others if we could put it off for 2 or 3 days, a short period of time, because they think that they are getting very close to making a deal,” Trump said. “If we can do that where there’s no nuclear weapon going into the hands of Iran, I think, and if they’re satisfied, we will be probably satisfied also.”

The US President reiterated that Washington’s primary objective remained preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons capability. At the same time, he suggested that military action could still be avoided if negotiations succeed.

“We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them I’d be very happy.”

Trump also claimed that recent US military operations had inflicted serious damage on Iran’s military infrastructure and command structure, though he did not provide further details.

“We’ve totally destroyed their military,” he said. “Their leaders are gone at the first level.”

According to reports by Axios, Trump has instructed Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and senior military officials to remain prepared for a possible full-scale assault if diplomatic negotiations collapse.

The developments come amid months of escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear programme, regional influence, and military activity across West Asia. Iran has repeatedly insisted that its nuclear programme is intended for peaceful purposes, while the United States and its allies have accused Tehran of pursuing weapons capability.

The involvement of Gulf countries highlights growing regional concern over the possibility of a wider conflict that could destabilise the Middle East and severely disrupt global energy markets. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE host major American military installations and remain deeply concerned about the impact any war could have on regional security and oil exports.

The Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route through which a large share of the world’s crude oil passes, remains central to global concerns. Any military confrontation involving Iran could threaten shipping traffic in the Gulf and trigger sharp increases in international oil prices.

Analysts believe the latest pause in military action signals that diplomatic channels remain active despite the rising rhetoric between Washington and Tehran. However, uncertainty continues to dominate the region as both sides maintain military readiness while negotiations continue behind the scenes.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)