US President Donald Trump says he has cancelled planned strikes against Iran, conditional on a deal being reached “rapidly.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote he had decided to “cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL” including the immediate opening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to “Iran’s nuclear threat.”
He said the decision was taken alongside Israel, BBC reports.
The announcement followed US media reports that Washington was preparing intense strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure over the weekend.
Tehran earlier accused the US of escalating tensions, warning that any regional state cooperating with Washington would be “engulfed by the flames of war.”
Trump said the US was “locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II.”
He added that he cancelled the strikes after being “asked” by Iran and other Middle Eastern countries to hold off to allow for negotiations. He suggested progress had been made, saying “the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to.”
Iran has not yet responded to Trump’s announcement.
The US government issued a security alert Saturday urging Americans in the Middle East to remain vigilant and be prepared for “flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions” in case of escalation.
CBS News reported that Trump’s cabinet discussed the strike plan Friday, with Trump telling aides while reporters were present: “We’ll be hitting them [Iranians] very hard. At some point, they’re going to say, ‘We just can’t take it anymore.’”
Washington and Tehran have exchanged strikes since a ceasefire collapsed in June. Earlier this week, the US said it carried out a “heavy wave” of strikes in retaliation for an attempted Iranian ballistic missile attack on American forces.
The US has blockaded Iranian ports and bombed sites, while Iran has launched missiles and drones at US assets and targeted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil route. US and Israeli strikes began on 28 February, sparking sharp fluctuations in global oil prices.
