President Donald Trump agreed on August 2 to call off planned strikes on Iran, reversing a threat he issued just days earlier, after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar urged restraint and Tehran warned it would retaliate against Gulf infrastructure.
The cancellation followed an intense diplomatic campaign. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi contacted counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar as well as Pakistan's army chief, urging US allies to intervene. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pressed Trump to forgo military action and return to negotiations. Tehran had warned mediators it would strike power plants and desalination facilities, with a Gulf official saying Iran threatened to "plunge the Gulf into darkness, country after country".
Separately, Iran said an agreement with Oman on the Strait of Hormuz is in its final stages, with a joint statement expected unless unspecified parties obstruct the process.