US President Donald Trump has announced that he is cancelling planned military strikes against Iran, saying significant progress in negotiations has created an opportunity for a broader agreement aimed at easing tensions in the Middle East.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, Trump said he had agreed to halt the planned attacks "for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran," adding that the decision was contingent on the two sides being able to "rapidly make a DEAL."
The announcement marks a dramatic shift after US officials had indicated that fresh strikes on Iranian infrastructure and energy facilities could be launched as early as this weekend if diplomatic efforts failed.
Trump said Iran and "other Middle Eastern Countries" had requested that Washington delay military action because the broad parameters of an agreement had already been reached.
According to the US president, the proposed deal would include the "Immediate, Complete, and Total" reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to what he described as Iran's nuclear threat.
Trump said the decision had been taken alongside Israel.
Trump's comments came after reports that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had spoken with the US president, expressing concern over plans for military action against Iran, said an Axios report. Other regional powers, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Pakistan, have also urged Washington and Tehran to de-escalate the crisis and pursue diplomacy.
The US president's announcement follows weeks of heightened tensions during which Washington repeatedly considered military action while simultaneously pursuing negotiations with Tehran. Officials had warned that failure to reach an agreement could trigger large-scale strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure.
Earlier on Saturday, the US State Department issued a fresh travel advisory urging Americans in the Middle East to consider leaving the region amid growing security concerns. Tehran also warned that any country allowing US forces to use its territory for attacks against Iran would face consequences.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated that any hostile action by the United States or Israel, or assistance provided by regional countries, would be met with a "decisive and proportionate response" by Iran's armed forces.
"Any hostile action by the US or Israel — or participation or cooperation by regional countries in such actions — would be met with a decisive and proportionate response from Iran's powerful armed forces," Araghchi said to Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Bin Abdullah Al Saud, per a post on Araghchi's Telegram channel.
Iran has not yet officially responded to Trump's announcement or confirmed that the outlines of a deal have been agreed.
The cancellation of the planned strikes has raised hopes that diplomacy could avert another military confrontation in the Gulf, although the success of the effort now depends on whether both sides can quickly translate the reported framework into a formal agreement.
