The United Arab Emirates urged US President Donald Trump to launch a “more decisive” military strike against Iran, in contrast to Saudi Arabia, which pushed Washington to avoid a large-scale attack, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.
Citing senior Gulf officials, the newspaper said Emirati officials argued that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would not retreat from its demands unless Washington escalated militarily. The measures proposed reportedly included establishing US control over the Strait of Hormuz and potentially launching a ground operation.
Saudi Arabia Pushes for Diplomacy
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, by contrast, sought clarification from Trump about Washington’s long-term strategy towards Tehran and encouraged him to pursue a diplomatic path.
According to the newspaper, the disagreement reflects broader frustration among Gulf states over the absence of a clear US strategy, while their territories continue to face repeated Iranian retaliatory attacks.
The Wall Street Journal also quoted Danny Citrinowicz, a former Israeli military intelligence official, as saying that Gulf states now hold greater influence over Trump than Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does at present.
Trump Suspends Planned Attack
The report followed Trump’s announcement early on Sunday that he had suspended a major military attack planned against Iran.
“Iran and other countries in the Middle East have just asked us to hold off on any attack because the outlines of an agreement have been reached,” Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform.
He added that the prospective agreement would include the full and immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to what he described as the “Iranian nuclear threat”.
Trump also confirmed that he had spoken with the Saudi crown prince, who told him that he preferred reaching an agreement with Iran.
