President Donald Trump announced Monday that he has postponed a planned U.S. military strike on Iran at the request of key Gulf allies who said negotiations with Tehran could produce a deal that “will be very acceptable” to the U.S. and other Middle Eastern countries.
Trump said in a lengthy Truth Social post that he received requests from the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan “to hold off on our planned Military attack of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was scheduled for tomorrow, in that serious negotiations are now taking place.”
“In their opinion, as Great Leaders and Allies, a Deal will be made, which will be very acceptable to the United States of America, as well as all Countries in the Middle East, and beyond. This Deal will include, importantly, NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN!,” Trump added.
Trump said that, “based on [his] respect” of the three leaders, he ordered Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman Daniel Caine and the U.S. military to stand down from a strike against Iran scheduled for Tuesday.
The president added, however, that the U.S. military had been instructed to remain ready to launch “a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice” if negotiations fail to produce what he described as an acceptable agreement.
The governments of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have increasingly positioned themselves as intermediaries while also seeking to avoid a direct military confrontation between the United States and Iran that could threaten oil markets and shipping lanes throughout the Middle East.
The announcement comes amid escalating tensions between the U.S and Iran following months of military threats, regional instability and disputes over Iran’s nuclear program. Trump had warned on Sunday that “the clock is ticking” for Iran to accept a deal as the Iran has yet to accept the latest peace proposal.
As diplomatic efforts continue, the president has repeatedly threatened military action against Iran in recent weeks before ultimately delaying or pulling back strikes.
The latest postponement follows earlier pauses tied to ceasefire negotiations and talks through regional allies.
Ebony Davis is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked at CNN as a campaign reporter covering elections and politics.
