Saudi Crown Prince MBS urges Trump to ‘prioritise dialogue’ in US-Iran war

The US president halted strikes after earlier threatening Iran with unprecedented force.Saudi Arabia’s crown prince spoke to Donald Trump about the deepening crisis between Washington and Tehran, urging a renewed push for dialogue over further military escalation, hours before the United States president halted his latest attacks on Iran.The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Sunday that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) spoke to Trump by phone and “stressed the need to prioritise dialogue to reduce escalation and the importance of making every possible effort to achieve calm that paves the way for diplomatic solutions”.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Why has Trump halted Iran attacks, and what is the deal he is hinting at?list 2 of 3Rubio’s bypass plan: Can the world escape the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint?list 3 of 3No breakthrough on Strait of Hormuz as Trump halts attack on Iranend of listMBS also highlighted the need to preserve the Gulf’s security and stability and prevent a wider conflict “whose repercussions would affect regional and international security and stability”, SPA added.Trump announced on his Truth Social platform early on Sunday that he would hold off on new strikes against Iran, citing the outline of a deal to end five months of war.On Saturday, he had struck a very different note, declaring the US “locked and loaded and ready to go against the Iran" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="8614" data-entity-type="organization">Islamic Republic of Iran”, at levels of force not seen “since World War II”.The reversal capped a day of dramatic swings in tone from Washington, after weeks in which the conflict has repeatedly threatened to widen into a broader Gulf confrontation.Trump said he was calling off the planned attack only because Iran and other Middle Eastern governments had asked Washington to hold back, insisting “the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to”.That deal, he wrote, would involve reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending Iran’s “nuclear threat,” with Israel joining the US “in this commitment”.