RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he agreed to cancel an attack on Iran so the countries could "rapidly make a deal" that includes the "complete and total opening" of the Strait of Hormuz.
"The U.S.A. is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II," Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Saturday night.
"Despite this, we have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to," he said, adding later that he had agreed "for the benefit of the world."
It comes after Saudi Arabia’s Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud called Trump to urge de-escalation and diplomacy, Saudi Arabia’s official state news agency reported on Sunday.
The White House previously said that Trump was weighing new strikes on Iran while the U.S. government has urged Americans in the Middle East to have heightened vigilance, and be prepared for flight cancellations and travel disruption.
America and Iran have exchanged strikes and counter-strikes since their ceasefire broke down in June.
Trump’s announcement came one day after CBS News reported that the United States and Israel were preparing a major bombing campaign against Iranian energy infrastructure, potentially beginning over the weekend.
The proposed targets included power plants and oil refineries, while senior officials also discussed cutting electricity across Tehran. Trump had not issued a final order, according to the outlet, which cited sources briefed on the talks.
Axios separately reported, citing a U.S. official, that Trump was seriously considering strikes within days as a means of pressuring Tehran to accept U.S. terms in ceasefire negotiations. The possible operation could have brought Israel back into direct combat against Iran and risked renewed Iranian missile attacks on Israel.
Trump ’s decision to cancel the attack is conditional, however, as he said it is "subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL." He added that Israel had joined the U.S. commitment.
Before Trump’s announcement, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke with the president and emphasized "the need to prioritize dialogue to reduce escalation," according to the Saudi Press Agency. He also called for efforts to secure calm, enable diplomatic solutions and prevent the conflict from widening.
Saudi Arabia has reason to fear that renewed U.S. strikes on Iran could expose the kingdom to retaliation from Tehran and its allied groups across the region.
The country faces potential threats on several fronts. Iranian attacks on infrastructure and vessels in the Persian Gulf have disrupted operations along Saudi Arabia’s eastern coast, while Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has targeted shipping in the Red Sea—the alternative route for Saudi energy exports. The Houthis also control territory along the kingdom’s southern border and have previously launched cross-border missile attacks .
To the north, Iran-aligned militias in Iraq have targeted Saudi energy infrastructure with drones. U.S. and Saudi fighter aircraft responded on July 28 by striking weapons and logistics sites in eastern Iraq following more than 30 drone attacks over 72 hours, according to U.S. Central Command.
The threat to energy infrastructure is particularly sensitive for Riyadh. Saudi Arabia remains one of the world’s largest oil exporters, and attacks on production facilities, ports or shipping routes could disrupt international supplies and damage the kingdom’s economy. Escalation in both the Persian Gulf and Red Sea could also restrict its options for moving oil to overseas markets.
A widening conflict could also undermine Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 program, which seeks to reduce Saudi Arabia’s reliance on oil and establish the kingdom as a global center for investment, logistics and tourism. Prolonged instability threatens investor confidence, supply chains and the development projects at the heart of that transformation.
Saudi Arabia has responded by strengthening its defenses without abandoning diplomacy. Riyadh has established a 14-country maritime defense alliance to protect shipping and freedom of navigation through strategic waterways.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tobias Meyjes and Tony Phillips
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