Akshay DidwaniyaUS President Donald Trump had decided to launch powerful strikes on Iran Thursday night but a flurry of desperate phone calls from Qatar, UAE, and Pakistan’s top leaders changed his mind. They convinced him a nuclear deal was almost within reach.
Trump Was Hours Away From Bombing Iran
US President Donald Trump came very close to ordering major strikes on Iran Thursday night. He backed off after top officials from Qatar, the UAE, and Pakistan made urgent calls, assuring him that a deal with Tehran was nearly done.
Trump had publicly declared on Thursday that the US would hit Iran with “very powerful” strikes that same night. Hours later, he quietly reversed course announcing the bombings were called off.
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Gulf Leaders Stepped In at the Last Minute
Soon after Trump posted about the planned strikes, leaders from Gulf and South Asian nations scrambled to reach him by phone. They made a desperate push to talk him out of it. “They assured him that a preliminary agreement… was effectively close,” the outlet reported.
Among those who called Trump were Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. Their message hold off, because peace is within arm’s reach.
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Only One Major Sticking Point Remains
Sources familiar with the talks said that just one key issue remained unresolved the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the US blockade. Everything else had reportedly been worked out between the two sides.
As part of the ongoing negotiations, the US and Iran were reportedly discussing giving Tehran access to its frozen funds held in Qatar and other locations worth over $16 billion in total. That figure alone signals just how high the financial stakes are in this deal.
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A Weekend Signing Could Be on the Cards
Trump later told journalists that in his view Iran’s leadership had already greenlit the deal with the United States. He went further, suggesting the agreement could be signed as early as this coming weekend somewhere in Europe.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghaei confirmed on the same day that the text of a memorandum of understanding with the US had been agreed upon in all its key points. Iran’s state broadcaster Press TV carried the confirmation marking a significant diplomatic signal from Tehran’s side.
Pratik Agrawal
Mayur Mohta