US President Donald Trump has delayed a planned resumption of military strikes on Iran after pressure from Gulf allies and ongoing diplomatic efforts. This comes despite him saying that US forces were “all set to start” operations.Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said he had decided to give Tehran a “limited period of time” to produce an acceptable agreement before authorising further attacks. “I’m saying two or three days, maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, something, maybe early next week,” CNN reported, citing Trump.The decision marked the latest reversal in Trump’s approach towards Iran, after he suggested he had been close to approving new military action. “They’re loaded to the brim,” Trump said of US warships deployed in the region. “And we were all set to start.”According to the report, the US military had already prepared detailed plans for a renewed multi-phase air campaign against Iran, including identified targets and operational phases. Trump reviewed military options with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and special envoy Steve Witkoff at his golf club in Virginia after returning from China over the weekend.A person familiar with the discussions said that Trump had considered striking additional Iranian targets after becoming frustrated with the slow progress in negotiations, CNN reported.However, Gulf leaders intervened as the US moved closer to military action. Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates separately urged Washington to hold off on strikes and allow diplomatic channels more time.Gulf states feared renewed conflict could provoke Iranian retaliation against critical energy infrastructure and further destabilise the region. Some countries also warned they could impose tighter restrictions on US military access to bases and airspace if attacks resumed.Trump acknowledged concerns over Iranian retaliation remained. “They still have a little capacity,” he said of Iran’s military capabilities. “Not much, but they have a little.”Saudi Arabia briefly restricted US access to bases and airspace during an earlier operation linked to the Strait of Hormuz before lifting the pause after Trump suspended the mission.The Gulf states also pointed to ongoing Pakistan-led mediation efforts and the significance of the Hajj season as reasons to avoid escalation. One regional official said Gulf leaders presented “a unified front” in their appeals for restraint.Trump said those calls ultimately influenced his decision. “I had made the decision. So they called up, they had heard I had made the decision, and they said, ‘Sir, could you give us a couple of more days? Because we think they’re being reasonable,” he said.Despite the temporary pause, military plans remain active. Commanders could launch operations at short notice, and the campaign may be renamed from “Operation Epic Fury” to “Operation Sledgehammer”. The proposed name change could also have legal implications. Restarting operations under a new name could potentially reset the 60-day clock under the War Powers Act, which governs congressional approval for military action.Defence secretary Pete Hegseth earlier said the ceasefire announced in April had effectively paused that timeline. “With the ceasefire, the clock stops. If it were to restart, that would be the president’s decision,” he said. “That option is always there, and Iran knows that.”While Trump has repeatedly insisted diplomacy remains possible, there has been little public indication that Tehran has softened its position on key disputes, including uranium enrichment and retaining its stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium.Vice President JD Vance acknowledged negotiations remained uncertain. “You negotiate with people, and sometimes you feel like you’re making progress and sometimes you feel like you’re not making progress,” he said. “What I think is that the Iranians want to make a deal.”
