President Donald Trump cancelled new attacks on Iran after Saudi Arabia warned that strikes during the Hajj pilgrimage would cause serious 'reputational damage', according to a report. The US leader threatened to restart a bombing campaign on the Islamic Republic after efforts to reach a deal appeared deadlocked, but later backtracked and said he was in no rush to end the conflict.
Earlier this week, he stated he was 'an hour away' from attacking the country and that Gulf leaders had intervened. Trump was told that America's standing within the Muslim world would suffer serious damage if attacks were carried out during the holy period, two senior Gulf officials told the Middle East Eye. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims would also be stranded in the region if war were to break out again, causing chaos if retaliatory strikes hit Saudi Arabia and surrounding countries in the run-up to Eid-ul-Adha.
Pilgrimage Risks
Around one million visitors travel to Saudi Arabia annually to complete the Hajj pilgrimage. A senior US official familiar with the discussions confirmed the talks took place, stating that Trump was warned by his own team that attacks during the period would cause 'reputational damage'. All three officials said they expected the war to resume in the coming weeks after the end of the Islamic festival.
The US did attack Iran during Ramadan earlier this year, but the particular logistical issues caused by the pilgrimage would create serious problems across the country and surrounding region. Within Iran, the conflict sparked by US-Israeli strikes that killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on 28 February is referred to as the 'Ramadan War' due to its timing.
Military Rebuilding
It follows reports that Iran has been rebuilding its military capacity much faster than expected during a six-week ceasefire with the US and Israel, according to new US intelligence reports. Tehran restarted its production of drones, replaced missile sites, and reignited its production capacity, four US officials told CNN.
'The Iranians have exceeded all timelines the IC [the intelligence community] had for reconstitution,' one official told the network. Top Iranian diplomat and parliamentary speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf said on Wednesday that the country had used the opportunity to 'rebuild' its strength and military capability. Iran threatened to escalate the conflict 'beyond the region' if the US restarted attacks on the country.
A White House briefing by JD Vance mentioned that 'a lot of good progress has been made' in recent negotiations with Tehran, though acknowledging that the outcome remains uncertain. The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.
