US President Donald Trump said he has canceled plans for a large-scale military attack on Iran, asserting that the parties have reached the “outlines of a deal.”
In a post on Truth Social late Saturday, Trump announced the decision, a day after US media reported that Washington and Israel were preparing to strike Iran's energy infrastructure.
According to him, the decision came after receiving requests from Iran and several Middle Eastern countries to “postpone any attack, amid the outlines of a deal being agreed upon.” He agreed on the condition that the deal be finalized quickly.
He added that the deal would usher in a phase of “IMMEDIATE, FULL AND COMPLETE OPENING OF THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ” and end what he called “Iran's nuclear threat.”
Tehran has not yet responded. Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Saudi counterpart that any US or Israeli attack would receive a “proportionate response.”
US news site Axios, citing a source familiar with the matter, reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Trump on Saturday, urging the US President to cancel the strikes and return to negotiations.
Earlier, on Friday, Trump had declared the US would “hit Iran very hard.”
On the same Saturday, the US State Department issued a security alert for American citizens in 10 countries in the region, advising them to exercise increased caution and consider leaving due to escalating tensions.
