Donald Trump has claimed he was asked to call off a "massive" attack on Iran by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Tehran itself.

01:23, Mon, Aug 3, 2026 Updated: 01:27, Mon, Aug 3, 2026

President Trump Returns To D.C. From New Jersey

President Trump Returns To D.C. From New Jersey (Image: Getty)

The president returned from a weekend golfing trip in New Jersey on Sunday and was quizzed about his choice to call off a substantial strike on Iran.

While speaking to members of the press, a reporter put the question to Trump directly, asking, "What prompted you to call off the strikes last night?".

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Trump responded by saying, "I was asked to by Saudi Arabia, by UAE, and by Qatar and by Iran.

"We were all set to go just about at this time, right now," he continued. "And, it would have been a massive attack.

"We were all set to go, but when the allies ask to call it off, you've got to sort of say, 'well, let's see.' And the reason they ask is they think there's a deal."

The US leader explained that, "There's a deal on Hormuz, and then there will be a deal on the nuclear - or, you might call it the denuclearization of Iran."

A further reporter posed the question that most Americans are eager to have answered: "What happens now?"

He replied by saying, "Well, now what we're doing is we're talking to them in the form of a negotiation."

He disclosed that he was keen to reach an agreement, stating that, "It begins tomorrow afternoon. It would save a lot of lives."

President Trump Returns To D.C. From New Jersey

Trump returned to D.C. on Sunday evening, ahead of what promises to be a busy week (Image: Getty)

Social media users had their own views on the matter. "Would be wise to just let the Arab allies take over the responsibility entirely for their security. They could also reimburse the U.S. for all of the military costs incurred to date, and the U.S. can extricate itself from this morass," one user wrote.

One commentator remarked, "You would think by now, everyone is on the same page and all the concerns... which are extremely obvious and direct would be settled before any action."

They continued, "This just seems amateurish. This entire war."

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, citing senior Gulf officials with knowledge of the matter, the United Arab Emirates lobbied for "more decisive action."

They contend that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps will not alter its position unless the US escalates matters, with suggestions including Washington seizing control of the Strait of Hormuz and potentially launching a ground invasion.

In a bid to bolster defences against Iranian offensives, the UAE has deployed Israeli air defence personnel within its territory and has also carried out its own military strikes against Iran.

On Saturday, Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social to announce that the strike had been called off following appeals from Tehran and other Middle Eastern nations, who requested additional time to finalise a peace framework.

He claimed the parties involved had established the "perimeters" of a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

An Iranian source quoted by the semi-official Fars News Agency dismissed these claims as a "lie," stating that Iran had rejected the request and that no agreement regarding the waterway had been reached.