RIYADH, MAY 20: Saudi Arabia on Wednesday welcomed US President Donald Trump’s decision to “give diplomacy a chance” with Iran and urged Tehran to seize the opportunity to avoid further escalation.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the Kingdom “highly appreciates” Trump’s decision to “give diplomacy a chance” in an effort to reach an “acceptable” agreement that would end the war, restore security and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz to pre-February 28 conditions, and resolve outstanding disputes in a way that supports regional stability.

Writing on X, Prince Faisal also praised Pakistan’s ongoing mediation efforts.

“Saudi Arabia looks forward to Iran seizing the opportunity to avoid the dangerous implications of escalation, and urgently responding to the efforts to advance the negotiations leading up to a comprehensive agreement to achieve lasting peace in the region and the world,” he said.

Trump said on Monday that he had suspended a planned military strike on Iran after leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates urged him to allow negotiations a chance to succeed.