Trump says Iran should make a deal as Gulf states plan to urge restraint

Trump calls on Iran to make a deal after a meeting on the subject, as Gulf capitals plan to press Washington to hold back from escalation.

Trump said Iran should make a deal after a meeting on Iran on Tuesday. He has also said Iran "is not doing well." Gulf capitals plan to press their own message directly, urging Trump to hold back from escalation.

The push comes against a different tone from Washington. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said sanctions are crippling Iran's economy and that the United States will honour its commitments to Saudi Arabia, while leaving the door open to talks with Tehran.

Iran's own signals have been mixed. Kyodo reported that Iran told Washington it would reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the US lifted its blockade, but Fars, citing Iranian sources, called reports of a Hormuz reopening deal invalid. Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said separately, according to Fars, that Iran will not surrender to the United States.

Gulf states pushing Trump toward restraint runs counter to the administration's current posture. Rubio has signalled economic pressure and a military commitment to Saudi Arabia as the baseline. Trump's call for a deal adds a different note, pointing toward talks. A diplomatic push from Gulf capitals may carry weight over time, but it lands while Washington's stated tools remain economic pressure and military commitments.