Gulf officials have publicly contradicted US President Donald Trump’s claim that their leaders persuaded him to call off an imminent military strike on Iran, telling the Wall Street Journal they had “no knowledge” of any such operation, Ada Derana reported on Wednesday.
Trump said on Monday that he had decided to “hold off” on striking Iran after appeals from Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, framing the pause as a Gulf-brokered diplomatic opening. He said an attack had been planned for Tuesday and that he had been “an hour away” from approving it.
According to him, the three leaders told Washington that “serious negotiations are now taking place” and that “a Deal will be made” that includes “NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN!” The Trump framing positioned the Gulf states as central guarantors of the pause.
Officials from “some of those Gulf nations” later told the Wall Street Journal they had no knowledge of any imminent US military plan, the report cited by Ada Derana said. The pushback effectively distances the Gulf governments from being seen as having endorsed — or having been briefed on — a US strike on Iran.
Even while announcing the pause, Trump kept military action on the table. Speaking at the White House, he said Washington could still attack Iran “within days” if talks over Tehran’s nuclear programme failed.
The contradiction lands one day after Sri Lankan media carried Trump’s pause announcement and Gulf-leaders framing as the headline diplomatic development. It also sits alongside this week’s separate US offer to release a quarter of Iran’s frozen foreign-held funds — a parallel sweetener routed through Pakistan that has been more concretely confirmed by both sides.
Source: Ada Derana.
