Trump says Gulf allies urged him not to launch renewed attacks on Iran

NPR | By Aya Batrawy,

A Martínez

Published May 21, 2026 at 3:42 AM CDT

President Trump said Gulf allies persuaded him not to resume attacks on Iran -- they fear the consequences of a renewed war.

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Aya Batrawy

Aya Batraway is an NPR International Correspondent based in Dubai. She joined in 2022 from the Associated Press, where she was an editor and reporter for over 11 years.

A Martínez

A Martínez is one of the hosts of Morning Edition and Up First. He came to NPR in 2021 and is based out of NPR West.

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