UAE, Qatar, Saudi allies persuaded Trump to hold off assault against Iran

President Donald Trump said he “held off” on a planned Tuesday (May 19, 2026) strike on Iran, citing a request from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as negotiations to end the war grow more “serious.”

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In a Truth Social post, Trump said he had instructed his leadership “to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice” if a deal is not reached.

He pointed to what he described as regional leaders’ optimism that an agreement acceptable to the United States and its Middle East allies could be within reach.

"Serious negotiations are now taking place, and that, in their opinion, as Great Leaders and Allies, a Deal will be made, which will be very acceptable to the United States of America, as well as all Countries in the Middle East, and beyond... we will NOT be doing the scheduled… pic.twitter.com/cxBBaNUB6E

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 18, 2026

“This Deal will include, importantly, NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN,” Trump said.

Later at the White House, Trump told reporters that this moment was “a little bit different” from previous instances when he believed Iran was close to an agreement.

“It’s a very positive development, but we’ll see whether or not it amounts to anything,” he said, adding that there have been “periods of time” when U.S. officials thought a deal was near, “but this is a little bit different.”

Trump upbeat on Iran talks

US President Donald Trump on Monday touted a "very positive development" in talks with Iran, which convinced him to postpone a planned military attack on the Islamic republic.

Trump said allies in the Middle East told him "they are getting very close to making a deal" that would leave Iran without nuclear weapons.

"It's a very positive development, but we'll see whether or not it amounts to anything," Trump said during a White House event.

Sanctions waiver extended

The US Treasury secretary said Washington was extending by 30 days its sanctions waiver for Russian oil cargoes already at sea, as global energy prices continue to surge due to the Iran war.

The latest "temporary 30-day general licence" will "provide the most vulnerable nations with the ability to temporarily access Russian oil currently stranded at sea," Scott Bessent said in a social media post.