Just hours before the announced strike, Donald Trump postponed the military operation against Iran. The reason didn't come from Iran. It came from the Gulf. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and other regional countries pleaded with Washington to wait.

Why are they scared? Because any strike on Iran means a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, an explosion in the price of oil, a potential attack on Saudi refineries, and chaos across the entire Persian Gulf. The Gulf monarchies don't want a war on their doorstep - and they said as much directly to the White House.

Trump himself described the decision in typical fashion: "If we can solve everything without destroying everything, that's great." He admitted preparations for a "very big strike tomorrow" had been under way. Now the pause may become permanent - or not. The military options, he said, remain on the table.

Here comes the interesting part. According to his statements, mediators told him Tehran may be closer to a deal than was thought. But Trump immediately added the hard line: Iran must not have a nuclear bomb. The ultimatum stays unchanged. Only the timing has shifted.

For the Balkans, this isn't a distant story. The price of petrol at the pumps in Skopje, Tirana and Sarajevo depends directly on whether Hormuz stays open. The economic and political fallout of a US-Iran clash reads itself into household budgets - not over months, but over days. Is anyone here planning a reserve in case things break? Nobody will ask the question - and we'll all find out the answer late.