US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he had called off planned military strikes against Iran, citing the possibility of a rapid agreement on Tehran's nuclear programme and the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the decision was also influenced by requests from Iran and other regional countries.
Trump's reversal and stated rationale
Trump wrote: "Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL." The deal, as outlined by Trump, would include the immediate and complete reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and "an end to Iran's nuclear threat." This marks the latest in a series of escalatory threats and subsequent retreats in the months-long standoff.
However, hopes for a breakthrough were quickly dampened on Sunday when Iran's Mehr news agency quoted officials dismissing Trump's claim as "nothing but a new lie," asserting that the Iranian armed forces were "on high alert and ready for any eventuality." Another Iranian outlet, Fars, cited a source close to negotiators saying the strait would remain closed as long as the US maintains hostile actions.
Iran's response and regional tensions
Iran's acting defence minister, Majid Ebn-e-Reza, characterized Trump's move as a retreat "within the context of psychological operations and a war of calculations." He affirmed that Iranian forces would remain vigilant, stating, "We will neither be taken by surprise nor will we be passive."
Mediation efforts were reported to be ongoing. Hassan Ghashghavi, a spokesperson for the Iranian parliament's national security commission, indicated in a video interview that mediators were attempting to revive a Pakistan-brokered agreement from June, according to Agence France-Presse.
Regional diplomacy and Saudi role
The decision to halt the strikes followed a phone call between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday, during which the crown prince expressed concerns. An anonymous source with knowledge of the call told Axios that Prince Mohammed "urged Trump to de-escalate and refrain from launching the strikes." The Associated Press (AP) confirmed the conversation, noting Saudi worries that US strikes on Iranian energy or infrastructure could provoke Iranian retaliation against the kingdom and other Gulf states.
A White House official, speaking anonymously, confirmed the call but declined to discuss details. Saudi Arabia had earlier joined US strikes on Iranian-backed militia sites in Iraq but has been pushing for a return to negotiations.
Threats and counter-threats
CBS News reported that the US and Israel were considering joint strikes, potentially targeting oil refineries and power plants. Tehran warned against any "adventurous action" and promised decisive retaliation. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, conveyed this message in separate calls with Turkish, Pakistani, and Saudi officials on Saturday, just hours after Kuwait's army reported destroying hostile Iranian drones aimed at vital facilities.
Kuwaiti authorities said a government facility in the north and civilian property on Bubiyan Island were struck, with shrapnel causing material damage but no casualties. Nournews, affiliated with Iran's top security body, warned that US attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure would prompt Iranian strikes on oilfields in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and gasfields in Qatar and Israel.
Trump, in his Saturday night post, employed grandiose language, declaring "the USA is locked and loaded" to strike Iran with "military terror, strength, and power not seen since World War II," yet he chose to pause, citing the potential for a deal.
