Gulf Leaders Called Trump To Stop Him From Attacking Iran. It Worked, For Now.

Soon after President Donald Trump posted Thursday morning that he would hit Iran “VERY HARD TONIGHT,” leaders from Gulf and South Asian countries called the president in a last-ditch effort to change his mind. They assured him a preliminary agreement that paves the way for more detailed talks was, in fact, at hand.

The calls, which have not been previously reported, came from Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Pakistani defense chief Asim Munir, according to two administration officials and a diplomat briefed on the calls. Both were granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive diplomatic mediation.

These countries have sway over Tehran and Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Trump said Thursday, and their assurance that a deal was near led him to walk back his attack plans , according to one of the administration officials.

The president announced on Truth Social that a deal could be signed as early as this weekend.

“We just made a great settlement of the war in Iran and we'll be subject to finalization of documents,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office later Thursday. “We should get done over the next few days.”

The message from Iran was different. Iranian state media reported that Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, said that while large parts of the negotiating text have been finalized, Iran would not compromise on its red lines, Reuters reported.

"Iran has not yet reached a final conclusion on an agreement," he said.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Still, U.S. and Arab officials were cautiously optimistic that Trump’s Thursday announcement portends an actual agreement, even as much stands in the way of a lasting resolution to the four-month conflict.

What appears to be on the table is only an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the U.S. blockade on the vital waterway, according to an Israeli official and a person briefed on the diplomacy. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress last week that detailed nuclear discussions would take more time, with opening the Strait of Hormuz being a first step.

Harder discussions over Iran’s nuclear program would come later.

And it remains unclear whether Khamenei has signed off. U.S. officials have said he suffered significant injuries in the war’s first days and is hiding underground without access to technology out of fears of American and Israeli attacks. It has therefore taken several days for him to comment on proposals.

Many diplomats were skeptical that Khamanei had actually agreed to anything. “I’ll believe it when I see it,” one Arab diplomat said.

A person close to the White House said that the veracity of a deal will depend on who the Trump administration is negotiating with.

“If it's the political leadership in charge then it’s real. If it's the IRGC, not so much,” said the person, granted anonymity to provide candid assessments of the talks, referring to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The U.S. and Iran have passed proposals back and forth via Qatar and Pakistan in recent days, but Trump has grown increasingly frustrated and wondered aloud whether Iran was stringing him along.

Then this week, the two sides started trading strikes again after Iran downed an American helicopter and Trump sought to further press Tehran to agree quickly to a deal.

As part of the negotiations, the U.S. and Iran have discussed giving Tehran access to restricted funds held in Qatar and elsewhere that could total more than $16 billion, according to a European official and another person briefed on the talks granted anonymity to describe the contours of negotiations.

The U.S. had previously deemed the assets usable by Iran for limited purchases but asked that banks stop their release in 2023 during the Israel-Hamas war. A U.S. nod could allow for workarounds that let Iran access the money without technically violating American sanctions or touching frozen funds.

Rubio told Congress last week that the U.S. would not grant Iran any sanctions relief upfront to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. That would only happen in follow on talks when Iran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear program.

But restarting the flow for limited purchases could satisfy Iran’s repeated demands for economic relief upfront before the two sides get into the more difficult work of negotiating over Iran’s nuclear program. Iran’s economy is in freefall, with inflation soaring and the government struggling to keep basic services running. Unlocking restricted assets could give Tehran something tangible to show its population while negotiations over the harder issues continue.

Any deal is likely to face resistance from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who

encouraged Trump in February to attack Iran over its refusal to accede to their nuclear demands.

Trump and Netanyahu spoke about the emerging agreement on Thursday.

“The Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for President Trump's commitment that the final agreement at the conclusion of negotiations will include the removal of enriched material, the dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, limits on missile production, and the cessation of Iran's support for its terrorist proxies in the region,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.