US and Israel hold off on Iran strikes as Trump eyes deal
The United States and Israel will hold off on planned military strikes against Iran, President Donald Trump announced late Saturday, stepping back from weeks of escalating threats against Tehran in a dramatic last-minute reversal.
Trump pulls back from the brink
Trump made the announcement following a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is said to have pushed strongly for de-escalation. Riyadh has been increasingly alarmed by the prospect of Iranian retaliation against Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia itself, should a major military operation go ahead. The call appears to have been decisive. Trump said the US would hold off, but only if a deal can be reached — and reached quickly. He gave no specific timeline.
In the same statement, Trump claimed that Israel had “joined him in this commitment.” But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not confirmed that publicly, and his office had issued no statement as of Sunday morning. That silence is conspicuous, given the stakes.
Netanyahu’s silence draws attention
Israel had been widely reported to be coordinating closely with Washington on potential strike packages targeting Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure. So the absence of any word from Jerusalem is being read, in some diplomatic circles, as a sign that the Israeli government wasn’t fully on board — or at least wasn’t ready to say so out loud.
Matthew-Mary Caruchet, an international affairs analyst at France 24, said the situation remains highly fluid. “What we’re seeing is a classic Trump pivot — maximum pressure, then a sudden pull-back when a deal appears possible. But Israel operates on its own calculus, and Netanyahu’s silence tells you something.”
Still, the de-escalation, however fragile, is a significant moment. Just ten days ago, US officials were briefing journalists that strike options were being actively reviewed at the Pentagon. Military assets had been repositioned in the region. The rhetoric from Trump himself had been blunt and personal, targeting Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei by name on at least three separate occasions.
Gulf states caught in the middle
Saudi Arabia’s intervention reflects a broader anxiety across the Gulf. Iran has an extensive network of proxy forces and ballistic missile capabilities that could hit oil infrastructure across the Arabian Peninsula within hours of any US or Israeli strike. The potential economic fallout — oil prices spiked nearly 4% last week on war fears alone — has concentrated minds in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.
The situation had put Gulf monarchies in an impossible position: broadly supportive of containing Iran, but terrified of becoming collateral damage.
What comes next
Diplomatic back-channels between Washington and Tehran, partly facilitated through Oman, are reportedly still active. Trump’s conditions for a deal remain centered on Iran’s nuclear program, though the specifics of any framework are unclear. Iranian officials have not yet publicly responded to Saturday’s announcement.
Whether this pause holds — or whether it collapses under the weight of domestic politics in both Washington and Jerusalem — may become clear within days.
