Saudi Crown Prince's 'private call' with Trump before Iran attack; what happened?

News Topical, Digital Desk : Tensions are escalating in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly privately urged the United States to attack Iran, despite publicly calling for diplomacy.

Following this, the US and Israel launched joint military action. Meanwhile, news of the death of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, further exacerbated the situation. A US newspaper report claims that Mohammed bin Salman spoke with US President Donald Trump several times over the phone last month, pressuring him to take action against Iran.

However, in January, he said Saudi Arabia would not allow its territory or airspace to be used to attack Iran. He also said Saudi Arabia respects Iran's sovereignty and that the dispute should be resolved through dialogue.

US-Israeli joint action

On Saturday, the US and Israel jointly attacked Iranian military and government targets. The action came amid a stalled nuclear talks and claims that Iran had resumed its nuclear activities. President Donald Trump said the heavy and precise bombing would continue for a week or as long as necessary.

Following the attacks, Iran retaliated by targeting Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Doha, the capital of Qatar, and Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, sparking new conflict across the region.

Negotiations with Gulf countries

The Saudi Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the Iranian attacks, calling them cowardly. The ministry said Saudi Arabia had already made it clear that it would not allow its territory to be used against Iran.

According to the report, after the attacks, Mohammed bin Salman spoke with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Mishal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah and Jordan's King Abdullah II.

Khamenei's death and Iran's warning

On Sunday, Iran's state TV and official news agency confirmed the death of 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. President Donald Trump had announced his death just hours earlier. Following Khamenei's death, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has threatened to launch the most intense attacks on Israeli and US targets.

This is the second time in eight months that the Trump administration has attacked Iran during talks on its nuclear program. Khamenei's death after a long tenure in power has left a leadership vacuum in the country, with no clear successor yet emerging.

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