Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stressed to US President Donald Trump the need to do everything possible to prevent the region from sliding into a broader conflict, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Sunday.
In a phone call, the crown prince emphasised the need to prioritise dialogue to reduce tensions and stressed the importance of making “all possible efforts” to achieve de-escalation to pave the way for diplomatic solutions with positive outcomes, said the agency.
Such efforts are essential to preserving the security and stability of the region and preventing it from being drawn into a wider regional conflict whose repercussions affect regional and international security and stability, he added.
The two leaders also reviewed existing areas of cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the US and discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral ties.
Iran sees every threat from adversaries as ‘real and credible’: Minister
Majid Ibn al-Reza, Iran’s acting defence minister, said threats are taken seriously “even if made as part of psychological warfare”, according to Al Jazeera.
“We will neither be caught off guard nor remain passive,” he was quoted as saying by Iran’s Mehr news agency. Tehran would use threats as a basis to increase its military readiness, strengthen deterrence and enhance its military capabilities, he added.
US strikes made Iran more willing to negotiate: Rubio
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that Iran is more willing to negotiate, including on its nuclear programme and the Strait of Hormuz, as a result of Washington’s military attacks, according to Al Jazeera.
In an interview with Fox News, Rubio repeated his claims the attacks had destroyed Iran’s navy, air force, missile defences, launchers and weapons-production facilities, and had “severely degraded” its defensive capabilities.
“They still have missiles, and they still have drones, and they can still do damage,” Rubio said. He claimed, however, that Iran no longer had the “conventional shield that they were going to hide behind”.
“And that’s changed the whole dynamic. It’s the only reason why they are now willing and in some cases, seem eager, to do a deal on denuclearisation, to do a deal on the straits. Because we are now approaching them from a position of strength, not from a position of weakness,” he said.
US media say Saudi crown prince spoke with Trump and raised concern over planned strikes
Axios and The Associated Press news agency reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman raised concerns about his plans to escalate strikes on Iran during a phone call on Saturday, according to Al Jazeera.
Axios, citing a US official, said Prince Mohammed “expressed concern and asked for clarity about the plan of action”. It cited another source with knowledge of the matter as saying that he had urged Trump to de-escalate and refrain from launching the strikes.
A person briefed on the substance of the call told the AP that the Saudis were concerned that if the US targets Iran’s energy infrastructure or carries out massive strikes on bridges or power plants, Tehran could respond by carrying out attacks on the kingdom’s and other Gulf countries’ energy infrastructure.
As we’ve been reporting, Trump said he had been persuaded not to attack Iran by countries in the Middle East.
Trump says he will hold off on fresh Iran attack in hope of quick deal
US President Donald Trump said late on Saturday he would hold off on a fresh attack on Iran as long as a deal could be reached quickly to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran and “other Middle Eastern Countries” asked for a time to complete a deal that would lead to “the Immediate, Complete and Total” reopening of the Strait and “an end to Iran’s nuclear threat,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
“Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL.”
Israel “joins me in this commitment,” Trump wrote. Israel did not immediately make a public statement on the issue.
Iran warned the US this weekend against any “adventurous action” and said it would retaliate decisively if American forces followed through on Trump’s threats of fresh attacks on Iranian targets.