By U.S. President Donald Trump said late Saturday that he was canceling planned strikes on Iran pending a rapid agreement with Tehran to end the conflict in the Middle East.
“We have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to,” Trump announced in a post on Truth Social.
He said the agreement would include the “Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT” and “an end to Iran’s nuclear threat.” Trump added that Israel supported his commitment to pause strikes, contingent on “being able to rapidly make a DEAL.”
The announcement came after reports in U.S. media that Washington had been preparing new, intense strikes on Iran over the weekend, including on the country’s energy infrastructure. On Saturday the U.S. government urged Americans across the Middle East to remain alert and prepare for possible evacuations “should there be escalation” in the region.
Iran has not yet responded to Trump’s announcement and has not confirmed that a deal with Washington has been reached.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held calls Saturday night with counterparts in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, according to posts on his Telegram channel. The country’s acting defense minister, Majid Ibn al-Reza, said Sunday that Tehran would “neither be caught off guard nor remain passive,” according to state media.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, called for diplomacy to ease tensions. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Trump in a phone call that dialogue should be prioritized to “de-escalate tensions” in the Middle East, Saudi state media reported Sunday.
Originally published on www.politico.eu — View original