Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman led efforts to talk US President Donald Trump out of an attack on Iran, a senior Saudi official told AFP on Thursday, with another Gulf official confirming the discussions. The Gulf trio “led a long, frantic, diplomatic last-minute effort to convince President Trump to give Iran a chance to show good intention,” the Saudi official said on condition of anonymity. After the repeated threats Trump changed course, saying he had received assurances from “very important sources on the other side” that Iran would not execute demonstrators. The Gulf efforts aimed to “avoid an uncontrollable situation in the region,” the Saudi official said. “We told Washington that an attack on Iran would open the way for a series of grave blowbacks in the region,” the official added.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 15, 2026 16:23 UTC