Trump Says He Held Off Bombing Iran After Gulf States Appealed

WATCH: President Donald Trump said he called off a strike on Iran after an appeal by the leaders of Persian Gulf allies.Source: Bloomberg

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By Omar Tamo and Arsalan Shahla

May 19, 2026 at 7:42 AM UTC

US President Donald Trump said he called off a new bombardment of Iran planned for Tuesday after Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf allies wanted more time to pursue diplomacy.

The US delayed the strikes “for a little while, hopefully maybe forever,” because “we’ve had very big discussions with Iran, and we’ll see what they amount to,” Trump said at the White House on Monday evening.