Trump says Gulf allies prefer Hormuz blockade over Iran strikes

President Donald Trump said he will hold off on new military strikes against Iran for now, citing appeals from Gulf allies including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, while maintaining the naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said he was acting "at the behest of countries that are their neighbors," which prefer the "status quo" of the blockade and Operation Iron Gate. He spoke after meeting Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, a key intermediary with Tehran, as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict ramp up following last week's US midterm elections. Mutual attacks continue, with US strikes on Iran's Qeshm island and Iranian attacks on tankers in the Gulf. Iran's truce proposal, involving an end to the blockade and sanctions in return for halting its own blockade, has been rejected by Washington, with officials on both sides doubting an imminent deal.