Over the weekend, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, urged President Donald Trump to reconsider a large-scale attack on Iran, leading the U.S. to postpone airstrikes, Axios reported on August 1.
According to the outlet, a U.S. official stated that during a phone call on August 1, bin Salman expressed concerns about escalation and requested a clear explanation of the action plan. Other sources indicated that bin Salman urged Trump to exercise restraint and de-escalate tensions. The White House and the Saudi embassy in Washington declined to comment.
This intervention came after a report from the Jerusalem Post indicated that Israel was ramping up its alert status in anticipation of a potential U.S. strike on Iran. Axios also noted that several Islamic countries surrounding Iran, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Pakistan, appealed to Trump to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
As the U.S. prepared for possible airstrikes, Iran appeared to be maintaining indirect negotiations with countries like Pakistan. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with Pakistan's military chief, General Asim Munir, on August 1, and also discussed the potential U.S. strikes with the foreign ministers of Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The Iranian state news agency IRNA reported that during a phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, Araghchi warned that Iran is prepared to defend its sovereignty and that the U.S., Israel, and their regional partners would face a strong and proportional response.
In response, Trump stated on August 1 via social media platform Truth Social that he was ready to attack Iran at any time but decided to cancel the strikes due to the potential for a swift resolution through negotiations. He also mentioned that the cancellation was at the request of Iran and Middle Eastern allies. However, Iranian officials denied ever requesting the cancellation of the strikes.
Discussions between the U.S. and Iran regarding the resumption of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the jurisdiction over it are ongoing. The Wall Street Journal reported on July 31 that Iranian diplomats proposed new ideas concerning the jurisdiction of the Strait and the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil exports.
There are concerns that Iran may consider a preemptive strike to undermine the Republican Party ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. According to the WSJ, an Iranian diplomat noted that they perceive Trump's political position as weak and may exploit it if necessary. Reports suggest that if diplomatic negotiations fail, Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) might contemplate a preemptive attack.
Meanwhile, in response to the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels declaring a blockade against Saudi Arabia and attacking oil tankers in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, Saudi Arabia announced plans on July 30 to establish a 'multinational maritime defense coalition' comprising 14 countries, including Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Pakistan, Egypt, and Jordan.
Due to Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has rendered Saudi Arabia's eastern ports unusable, the kingdom has been exporting oil from the western coastal city of Yanbu through the Red Sea. In a televised address on July 30, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi stated, "If Saudi Arabia escalates tensions completely, we will respond with full escalation as well."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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