Gulf leaders plan to press Trump for diplomatic path with Iran
Officials from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar will meet Donald Trump on Tuesday, urging him to avoid further escalation with Iran and pursue diplomatic solutions.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are scheduled to sit down with Donald Trump on Tuesday to ask the United States to refrain from any further escalation against Iran and to prioritize diplomatic engagement. The coalition cites the ongoing missile and drone assaults by Iran, which have crippled the Persian Gulf’s commerce and threatened the flow through the Strait of Hormuz. Their diplomatic push follows earlier success when they convinced Trump to cancel a large-scale attack after a reopening deal for the strait appeared within reach.
An IRGC spokesman said Iran will fight only if its national interests require it, but will negotiate if that is deemed necessary. Trump’s stance remains ambiguous, though he suggested a possible meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the UN General Assembly week. The talks aim to find a negotiated “off-ramp” to the conflict that has destabilized the region.
Why it matters
The meeting could shape U.S. policy toward Iran, affecting regional security and global oil markets.
How this story developed
- Sep 11 Smoke spotted near Saudi East-West oil pipeline as Houthi advances intensify
- Sep 13 Iraq seized a drone‑launching platform suspected of being used in the strike and dismissed the Maysan provincial commander.
- Sep 13 Saudi east‑west oil pipeline shut after a drone strike.
- Sep 13 Houthis allege Saudi forces carried out more than 50 attacks on their targets in a single day.
- Sep 16 Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a drone aimed at Mecca and accused Iran-backed Houthi rebels of the plot, which the rebels denied.
- Sep 16 Saudi Arabia announced the cancellation of September crude cargoes to Europe.
- Sep 16 Houthis seized coastal towns and islands at the mouth of the Bab el-Mandeb strait.
- Sep 19 Washington met Houthi envoys in Oman and secured assurances that American vessels would not be targeted.
- Sep 19 The Saudi Directorate of Civil Defence said the danger has passed in Riyadh and al‑Kharj and urged residents to continue following its instructions and avoid gathering or filming.
- Sep 19 The Houthis announced new missile and drone strikes on Riyadh and Yanbu.
- Sep 19 Saudi officials confirmed that Yemen's Houthi forces attempted a ballistic missile strike on Riyadh, which was intercepted, and also failed to hit targets in Yanbu, Taif, Baysh and Farasan.
- Sep 20 The Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters announced it possesses information about an imminent US offensive and warned that any new strike would provoke sustained attacks on American installations and regional allies. Secretary-general Mohsen Rezaei added Iran could hit US vessels anywhere in the Indian Ocean. The statement referenced unverified reports of a meeting in Europe and suggested some Arab states had approved the plan. The US State Department issued a security alert warning of possible escalation.
- Sep 21 Iran added that any regional country assisting the United States would be considered a participant in the conflict.
- Sep 22 The United States declined to conduct direct kinetic strikes against the Houthis.
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