Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman telephoned US President Donald Trump on Saturday to express concern over plans for a large-scale military strike on Iran and to urge restraint, according to US officials and a source familiar with the call cited by the news site Axios. The Saudi state news agency SPA confirmed the call took place on Sunday, reporting that the two leaders discussed regional developments and their international repercussions, with the crown prince stressing the need to “prioritise the language of dialogue to reduce escalation” and to prevent the region from being dragged into a broader conflict.

Viewed from Riyadh, the intervention was part of a concerted effort to avert a direct US-Iranian military confrontation. SPA said Prince Mohammed emphasised the importance of all possible efforts to achieve calm and pave the way for diplomatic solutions that preserve regional security and stability. Earlier, Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khaled bin Salman had conveyed a similar message to US Vice President JD Vance, telling him that the kingdom wanted to lower tensions with Iran, a source told Axios. The crown prince’s call came after Trump had already announced late Saturday that he was calling off planned strikes on Iran, citing progress in talks and noting that Iran and “other countries in the Middle East” had asked him to hold back.

US military planners had prepared options for a heavy two-week bombing campaign targeting Iranian missile bases and energy infrastructure, CNN reported, with forces placed on alert for possible strikes as early as the weekend. The Axios report, which first detailed the Saudi leader’s intervention, said Saudi officials sought clarification of the operational plan and urged Trump to de-escalate. The White House and the Saudi embassy in Washington declined to comment on the call.

Parallel diplomatic channels were active across the region. Qatari mediators held separate talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US special envoy Steve Witkoff, as well as Omani officials, to explore an agreement on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a source told Axios. Araghchi also spoke with the foreign ministers of Turkey and Saudi Arabia, warning his Saudi counterpart that any hostile act by the US or Israel, or any regional participation in such an act, would be met with a “decisive and proportionate” response from Iran. Pakistan’s army chief, who has played a mediating role, also discussed the crisis with Araghchi. While those talks made some progress, it remains unclear whether the diplomatic push will be sufficient to defuse the crisis and prevent a resumption of large-scale military action.