A remarkable convergence of diplomatic efforts by major Middle Eastern powers has successfully urged the United States to delay a planned military strike against Iran, highlighting a profound shift in regional dynamics. This coordinated action, involving both Arab states and Israel, underscores a shared interest in regional stability and a growing aversion to reckless American military adventurism that threatens to engulf the entire region in chaos.
In an intensive 72-hour diplomatic campaign, key U.S. allies including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Egypt engaged with both Washington and Tehran to lower the temperature and avert conflict. Their message to the Trump administration was unequivocal: a military strike could trigger catastrophic regional instability, disrupt global oil markets by jeopardizing the Strait of Hormuz, and provoke Iranian retaliation against American bases scattered across the Gulf. To Iran, these states conveyed that any counterattack on U.S. facilities in the region would severely damage Tehran's relations with its neighbors.
Israel also lobbied for a halt to the attack, albeit for very different reasons. According to reports, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday and asked him to delay military action, citing Israel's need for more time to prepare for potential Iranian retaliation. This request from a traditional hawk on Iran was a significant factor in Trump's decision to pause.
The immediate catalyst for the crisis was President Trump's repeated threats of military intervention in Iran's internal affairs, including public promises that "HELP IS ON ITS WAY" to protesters. However, regional nations feared that an American attack would not topple the regime but instead create chaos, potentially leading to a collapsed state, revived separatist movements, and a massive refugee crisis, a scenario they are determined to avoid given the painful lessons of Iraq and Syria. Their primary concern was not for the Iranian government, which many oppose, but for the uncontrollable domino effect of a U.S. strike.
Iran's credible capacity for retaliation gave weight to these regional warnings and diplomatic efforts. Tehran had explicitly informed several Gulf nations that U.S. military bases on their soil would become targets for Iranian missiles in the event of an American attack. This was not an empty threat, as demonstrated in June 2025 when Iran struck Qatar's Al Udeid Air Base in response to U.S. actions. The U.S. military's precautionary drawdown of some personnel from that base this week signaled that Washington took the threat of retaliation seriously.
The success of this regional diplomacy was evident when President Trump publicly stepped back from the brink. On Wednesday, he stated that "very important sources on the other side" had assured him executions of protesters had stopped, and he later claimed, "Nobody convinced me. I convinced myself," regarding the delay. While U.S. officials maintain that military action remains on the table, the immediate pressure for a strike has subsided.