**Urgent Phone Call with Saudi Crown Prince Changed the Course of Trump's Speech: Only a Temporary Ceasefire**
What began as preparations for an announcement of a U.S. withdrawal from the Iranian arena ended in a surprise. President Donald Trump intended to declare a full ceasefire and an end to the fighting against Iran, in exchange for the immediate opening of the Strait of Hormuz. However, a charged phone call with the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, changed the plan at the last moment.
According to White House sources, bin Salman pleaded with Trump not to halt the operation: "This is a historic opportunity – we must finish the job and weaken the Iranian regime to the end." In exchange for continuing the fighting, Saudi Arabia offered an unprecedented package of economic and strategic incentives.
Among the standout items:
Transfer of 100 billion dollars directly to fund American war expenses.
Full and immediate normalization with Israel following the defeat of the regime in Tehran.
Laying a direct oil pipeline from Saudi Arabia to the port of Ashdod, which will turn Israel into a central energy hub.
Investment of nearly a trillion dollars in the American economy alongside the purchase of American weapons in the amount of half a trillion dollars.
Establishment of a new regional defense alliance – a kind of "Middle Eastern NATO" – that will include Israel, Saudi Arabia, and additional moderate countries under an American umbrella.
It was also agreed to establish a joint naval force to control the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab.
Funding for strategic American bases in Israel, and a joint reconstruction fund for Iran for the "day after" as a secular and moderate state.
In the end, Trump announced only a temporary ceasefire, and not a final end to the fighting. Senior diplomatic figures described the move as a "historic turning point" that marks the beginning of a new regional order.