Aditya DidwaniyaUS President Donald Trump says Gulf allies asked him to hold back. He says this is why the Trump Iran conflict has not ended quickly.
The Trump Iran conflict has not seen sharp changes because Middle East allies made requests, US President Donald Trump said.
Trump Says Gulf Allies Asked for Restraint
Trump claims he could end the fight right away. He explained his slower approach in an interview with TV host and political commentator Stephen Smith.
“I could end this immediately. At the request of the countries I seek to protect, we are proceeding a bit more slowly, in a somewhat more civilized manner. Saudi Arabia asked me: ‘Please, just leave things as they are for a while.'”, he said.
Which Countries Want More Patience
The White House chief said Riyadh is not alone in this view. Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Bahrain also prefer to wait. The American leader said he listened to his allies. He added that he is not sure he fully agrees with them.
Mixed Signals From Washington
On Wednesday, Trump said the United States would not have to destroy anything in Iran. The next day, he added that a deal with the Islamic Republic was not needed.
How the Trump Iran Conflict Reached This Point
In mid June, Tehran and Washington signed a memorandum to start a peace process. Three weeks later, both sides began trading strikes again. The fighting nearly stopped all shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Fuel prices rose around the world as a result.
The Hormuz Offer and Rubio’s Reaction
A month later, Iran proposed a plan lasting seven days to reopen Hormuz. In return, it wanted the naval blockade and export limits lifted. Trump rejected the offer. Talks later cut the timeline to two days. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio still called Iran’s current terms unserious and absurd.
Pratik Agrawal
Akshay Didwaniya
