U.S. President Donald Trump has unexpectedly paused actions against Iran following warnings from Gulf nations about the escalating danger of the conflict, according to regional sources and analysts. According to Jin10, officials in the region are increasingly concerned that Washington may have misjudged Tehran's willingness to further escalate the situation.
Three regional sources revealed that Gulf Arab states directly cautioned Trump that a U.S. attack on Iranian power plants could provoke Iran to retaliate against critical energy and desalination facilities in their countries. Additionally, two other regional sources indicated that Iran, through an Arab mediator, warned Gulf governments of unlimited retaliation if the U.S. targeted its power facilities.
Alex Vatanka, an analyst at the Middle East Institute, noted that Tehran's unexpected resilience in the conflict has surprised Trump. "They are unrestrained, with no limits or signs of backing down. Once it became clear that Iran was indeed willing to target Gulf energy facilities, he [Trump] had to make concessions," Vatanka explained.