A senior Israeli official stated that Saudi Arabia and Qatar were the ones who exerted intense pressure on President Trump to cancel the planned American attack on Iran, according to a report circulated on the newssil the source. The attribution adds a new layer to accounts of regional diplomatic intervention that averted a U.S.-Iran military confrontation.
A senior Israeli official has attributed the cancellation of the planned U.S. military strike on Iran to intense pressure from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, according to a report circulating on the newssil channel Sunday evening. The official, who was not named, stated that the two Gulf states "stood and pressed intensely" on President Trump to abort the operation.
The attribution adds a new layer to a rapidly evolving story that The Zioneer has tracked throughout Sunday. At 17:29 Jerusalem, the news desk reported multiple accounts: the Wall Street Journal cited a positive Iranian response to a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz; Channel 14 reported Israeli surprise over the last-minute cancellation; and i24NEWS reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had urged Trump to halt the strike. The Zioneer's Eye on Zion report at 22:12 Jerusalem later confirmed the Saudi role. Earlier background from The Zioneer, citing Politico (Jun 11), documented that leaders of Qatar, Pakistan, and the UAE had convinced Trump to call off a strike plan, while a separate bulletin (Sunday 07:30) noted Qatar and Pakistan's overnight pressure.
The new Israeli official's statement singles out Saudi Arabia and Qatar specifically, and provides an Israeli perspective on the Gulf states' influence on U.S. decision-making. As The Zioneer reported in its background article on the Geneva framework (Jun 12), President Trump had stated that Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar had approved the emerging diplomatic framework. Jerusalem has maintained a cautious stance, preserving its freedom of action.
The report remains unverified by official channels. The identity of the senior Israeli official has not been disclosed, and the precise sequence of diplomatic contacts that led to the cancellation has not been independently confirmed.
6 developments
- StrongOvernight: Qatar and Pakistan reportedly pressed Trump to halt Iran strike
- DevelopingNew details: Saudi pressure, missile stock shortage, and Qatari mediation led to delay of US strike on Iran
- DevelopingHananel Aviv: Gulf states, not Iran, requested delay of US attack on Tehran
- StrongQatar, Pakistan, UAE leaders convinced Trump to call off Iran strike plan, Politico reports
Source and signal
- Open-source intake