President Trump said he could have ended the war with Iran immediately but, at the request of Middle East countries he protects, adopted a slower, more restrained approach. He said Saudi Arabia asked him to 'temporarily' maintain the status quo, while Qatar, the UAE and Bahrain favored a 'waiting' strategy; he complied but said he was not sure he agreed. He added the US maintains good relations with those states and they are significant investors in the United States.