United States President Donald Trump announced late Saturday that he has cancelled a planned large-scale military attack on Iran, stating that the “perimeters of a deal” have been agreed upon.Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the decision followed requests from Iran and other Middle Eastern nations to pause strikes, subject to a deal being finalized rapidly. He claimed the framework would secure the “Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT” and eliminate “Iran’s nuclear threat,” adding that Israel supports the commitment.
The announcement came a day after reports emerged that Washington and Israel were preparing major strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, following Trump’s warning on Friday that the U.S. would hit Iran “very hard”. Tehran did not immediately issue an official response. However, earlier on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi informed his Saudi counterpart that any U.S. or Israeli aggression would trigger a “decisive and proportionate response”.Diplomatic activity intensified ahead of the decision, with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman contacting Trump on Saturday to urge a return to negotiations and caution against strikes that could escalate regional conflict.
Mid-tier diplomatic outreach from other Gulf nations also urged Washington to preserve the diplomatic process. Amid the heightened tensions, the U.S. Department of State issued security alerts across 10 Middle Eastern countries on Saturday, advising American citizens to exercise extreme caution and consider departing due to potential airspace closures and travel disruptions.
