Trump: We Halted the Largest Attack Since World War II on Iran at the Request of Our Allies and Are...

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he had called off what he described as

“the largest military attack since World War II”

against Iran, saying it would have had catastrophic consequences for them, and that

“they didn’t want us to carry it out.”

Speaking to reporters, Trump explained that Saudi Arabia also opposed the attack, believing that a diplomatic agreement was close at hand.

Warning of the consequences of escalation, Trump said:

“You don’t know where these attacks lead. I mean, will Iran’s neighbors be flooded with human waves pouring into their countries? It would be a catastrophe. A lot of bad things could happen.”

He went on to describe the communications with allies:

“When your allies ask you to cancel it, you have to say, ‘Okay, let’s see.’ They asked us not to do it. They said, ‘Please don’t do it,’ and their neighbors said the same thing.”

He indicated that the request came from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Iran itself.

Trump added that America’s allies believe there is an opportunity to reach an agreement, stating:

“There will be an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz, and there will be an agreement on the nuclear issue.”

Asked about the next steps, Trump replied:

“We’re talking to them, and that starts tomorrow afternoon. It will save a lot of lives.”

Addressing differing views on striking Iran, Trump said:

“There was one group of people who wanted me to do it—just bomb Iran—and there was another group that didn’t want me to do it.”

When asked whether Iran had been given a deadline, he responded:

“We’ll see. I’m not eager to kill people.”

Trump also revealed part of his discussion with the Saudi Crown Prince, saying:

“I asked the Saudi Crown Prince, ‘What would you prefer we do?’ He said, ‘We would rather reach an agreement than launch an attack.’”

Responding to reports that the United States was withdrawing forces from Kuwait and Bahrain, Trump said:

“I don’t want to comment on that.”

He concluded by reiterating:

“It was a massive attack. They asked us not to carry it out, and we’ll see whether we can make a deal or not.”

Note:

Unfortunately, it appears that the Iranian negotiating team—by committing to negotiations and retreating under pressure—has inadvertently given renewed credibility to Trump’s threats. A firmer stance that rejected this pressure campaign and tested whether he would actually follow through might have been more appropriate than yielding and immediately engaging on the basis of imposed conditions.