President Donald Trump said on Saturday the United States has cancelled its planned strike against Iran after Tehran and other Middle Eastern countries requested a pause, claiming the framework of a deal to end the five-month war had been agreed upon.
The announcement came a day after Trump warned the US would hit Iran “very hard,” prompting US embassies across the Middle East to advise Americans to leave because of the risk of an “unforeseen escalation” in the regional conflict.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Iran and other countries in the region had asked Washington to hold off on military action because “the perimeters of a deal” had been agreed upon.
Trump said the proposed agreement would include the “immediate, complete, and total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT” and an “end to Iran’s nuclear threat.”
“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,” Trump wrote.
He added that Israel had joined the commitment to suspend military action while negotiations continue.
Trump’s new ‘lie’
Iranian military officials denied Trump’s claim that Tehran had asked the US to halt the attack, calling the remarks a “new lie” and accused Washington of trying to pressure Gulf states with threats.
According to The Jerusalem Post, citing Mehr News Agency, the officials said Iran remained “at the highest level of readiness” and was “prepared for any eventuality.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also reportedly told his Saudi Arabia counterpart Faisal bin Farhan that Tehran is ready to defend its sovereignty.
“Any hostile action by the US or Israel, or participation or co-operation by regional countries in such actions, would be met with a decisive and proportionate response from Iran’s powerful armed forces,” Araghchi said, as quoted by Mehr News Agency in a separate report.
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Markets welcome the pause
Investors welcomed Trump’s announcement as a sign that a wider conflict may be avoided, with Dow Jones futures edging modestly higher following the news, according to Investor’s Business Daily.
The attention also shifted to the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping lanes, after Trump said that the proposed agreement would include its reopening.
Analysts said that any reduction in tensions around the waterway could help ease concerns over global energy supplies, although there are still uncertainties as Iran has not made an official statement about the proposed deal.
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