President Donald Trump revealed that fresh negotiations with Iran kicked off on Monday, just days after he aborted what he described as a fully prepared “massive” military strike on the Islamic Republic that had been set for the weekend.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, the president made clear that direct appeals from key Gulf allies—and even from Tehran itself—prompted him to stand down the planned operation.
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud spoke privately with Trump on Saturday, reinforcing the message that diplomacy still held promise.
“I was asked to by Saudi Arabia, by UAE, by Qatar, and by Iran,” Trump said when pressed on why he called off the attack.
“We were all set to go,” Trump added, stressing that the operation would have constituted a “massive attack.”
The president recounted his conversation with the Saudi crown prince in straightforward terms: “I said to the crown prince, ‘What would you rather do? Would you rather us do this or not?’”
According to Trump, the response was unambiguous.
“They said we would much prefer a deal as opposed to an attack, because you don’t know where these attacks lead,” Trump said.
Bin Salman further assured the president that Iran appeared prepared to cut a meaningful agreement.
“They thought that a deal is imminent,” Trump reported, noting that any such arrangement would address both the vital Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program.
The administration has long insisted that the strategic waterway—central to global oil shipments and commerce—must remain open and free of any Iranian tolls or interference, while Tehran must be blocked from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Trump remained measured about the prospects for success when talks resume.
He acknowledged the familiar pattern of Iranian mixed signals that have repeatedly undermined past diplomatic efforts.
“A lot of times they’ll say that to me, and then they’ll go out and say we don’t know what he’s talking about,” he observed.
The president declined to impose any artificial deadline on the negotiations but left no doubt about America’s military posture.
“We’re ready to go anytime we want,” he declared.
The decision to cancel the strikes came Saturday night, after what Trump characterized as a framework for a potential peace deal taking shape.
That announcement followed reports that U.S. and Israeli officials had been examining options for targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure.
When asked Sunday whether those energy sites had been part of the planned operation, the president refused to answer.
Tehran, for its part, had already issued stark warnings that any assault on its energy sector would trigger retaliatory strikes against oil and gas facilities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Israel.
Those threats underscored the high stakes involved and the potential for rapid regional escalation.
Administration officials have consistently maintained that any return to the negotiating table must be preceded by Iranian acceptance of a cease-fire.
“That’s the basis for any type of negotiation; it starts with a cease-fire, and it has to start with Iran,” a U.S. official told reporters earlier in the week.
Trump’s handling of the crisis reflects a familiar approach: maximum pressure backed by credible military readiness, combined with openness to diplomacy when allies and even adversaries signal genuine interest in de-escalation.
By consulting closely with Gulf partners who would bear the brunt of any wider conflict, the president demonstrated a preference for coordinated strength over unilateral action.
The Saudi crown prince’s personal intervention on Saturday proved decisive in shifting the trajectory from imminent strikes toward renewed talks.
As more discussions unfold, the core American demands remain unchanged.
The Strait of Hormuz must stay free and open. Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon must be permanently closed.
And any serious negotiation process begins only after Tehran commits to a cease-fire.
Trump has made plain that the U.S. military stands prepared to act if those conditions are not met.
For now, the focus shifts to the bargaining table, with the full weight of American power still very much on the table.
