After the dramatic cruise missile and drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities at Abqaiq and Khurais on Sept. 14, the provocations by Iran and its proxies against Saudi Arabia and regional shipping have ebbed. And with the Trump administration choosing to avoid direct military retaliation against Iran — even after pointing the finger of blame squarely at Tehran for the September attacks — the Saudis have backed away from their sharply confrontational stance toward Iran in favor of seeking dialogue to reduce tensions. In the larger contest, Iran and the United States ultimately want to avoid an escalation that could ignite a military conflict, yet Tehran has every reason to continue pressuring Washington to abandon its "maximum pressure" campaign of sanctions , meaning the two remain on a collision course.