Gulf States 'Unaware' Of US Strike Plan On Iran After Trump Says He Halted It At Their Request

Several Gulf officials cited by US President Donald Trump as urging him to delay a planned strike on Iran have said they were “unaware of any imminent attack plan”, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

The newspaper reported that Arab diplomatic sources said the countries named by Trump — including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — had “no knowledge” of any new US military plan against Iran, contradicting Trump’s claim that regional leaders asked him to pause the operation.

On Tuesday, Trump said he had postponed a planned strike on Iran after requests from Gulf allies to allow more time for diplomacy. He said the move came as negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme were showing signs of progress.

Trump had earlier

said he had prepared a new military operation for the following day after Iran rejected US proposals for a deal. Writing on his Truth Social platform, he said Gulf leaders had asked him “to hold off on our planned Military attack of the Islamic Republic of Iran… in that serious negotiations are now taking place”.

He added that US forces remained ready for action if talks failed. “We have instructed the military to 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,” he wrote.

Speaking separately at a White House event, Trump said there had been a “very positive development” in talks and suggested a diplomatic breakthrough could still be reached. He said Gulf partners believed a deal was close that would prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies.

Trump also said he preferred a negotiated outcome, adding: “If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I’d be very happy.”

Meanwhile, Iran has warned that it would “open new fronts” against the United States if strikes resume. The warning comes amid a fragile ceasefire in place since April 8, as Washington and Tehran continue to exchange proposals aimed at ending the war, which began on February 28.

Additionally, Qatar, which suffered Tehran’s retaliatory strikes following US-Israeli assaults, emphasised that more time was needed for the ongoing Pakistani-mediated efforts to push for Iran-US talks.

“We are supportive of the diplomatic effort by Pakistan that has shown seriousness in bringing parties together and finding a solution, and we do believe it needs more time,” Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said at a press conference.

(With inputs from agencies)