Trump cancels strikes on Iran, says he will cancel subject to 'rapidly' making a deal
US President announces he is calling off planned intense strikes on Iran contingent on a deal being reached 'rapidly', as the Strait of Hormuz closure and escalating war push both sides toward a diplomatic pivot.
The 60-second version
Trump announces he has cancelled planned strikes on Iran, claiming a deal is within reach that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end Iran's nuclear threat — but Iran has not yet responded.
Key points
- Trump said on Truth Social he cancelled strikes on Iran provided a deal is struck 'rapidly', claiming Iran and Middle Eastern allies asked him to hold off
- US media reported the US and Israel were planning one of the harshest bombing campaigns of the war against Iranian energy infrastructure
- Iran had warned any regional state cooperating with the US would be 'engulfed by the flames of war'
- The US issued a travel advisory urging Americans in the Middle East to be ready to leave
- Saudi Arabia's crown prince expressed concern to Trump about the potential strikes
Verdict. A dramatic diplomatic pivot from the brink of major escalation, but the deal remains unconfirmed by Iran and the terms — reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the nuclear threat — are extraordinarily complex. The cancellation is a pause, not a peace.
The announcementTrump calls off strikes — with a condition
Donald Trump says he has cancelled strikes against Iran provided a deal was struck 'rapidly' with the country. In a post on Truth Social, the US president claimed he was asked by Iran and other countries in the Middle East to 'hold off' on any attack as the 'perimeters' of a deal had been agreed — which he said would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending Iran's nuclear threat.
Trump further said in his post 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 said cancelling the attack would be 'for the future benefit of the world and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran'. Iran has not yet responded to Trump's announcement.
The planned strikesWhat was being prepared
His comments came after US media reported that Washington may have been planning new, intense strikes on Iran over the weekend. Multiple sources told CBS News, the BBC's American media partner, that the US and Israel were planning what would be one of the harshest bombing campaigns to date against energy infrastructure targets in Iran. The plan came up during Trump's cabinet meeting on Friday, sources told CBS News.
During that Friday meeting, CBS News reported Trump was heard saying while reporters were still in the room: 'We'll be hitting them [Iranians] very hard. At some point, they're going to say, "We just can't take it anymore."'
Iran's warningTehran's response before the cancellation
Earlier on Saturday, Tehran had accused the US of escalating tensions, saying any regional state co-operating with Washington would be 'engulfed by the flames of war'. The warning came as the US government urged Americans across the Middle East to be alert and ready to leave 'should there be escalation' in the region.
'Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise caution and heightened vigilance and should be prepared for flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions,' the security alert said on Saturday.
The broader warSix months of escalating conflict
Washington and Tehran have engaged in escalating strikes and counter-strikes since a ceasefire in April aimed at pausing the war fell apart in June. The US and Israel began launching their strikes against Iran on 28 February, with the outbreak of war leading to significant fluctuations in oil prices.
The US has blockaded Iranian ports and bombed Iranian sites, while Iran has fired missiles and drones at US assets in countries across the Middle East and targeted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz — a vital waterway for global oil shipping. Earlier this week, the US said it completed a 'heavy wave' of strikes against Iran in retaliation for an attempted ballistic missile attack on American forces in the region.
Diplomatic pressureSaudi Arabia's intervention
Axios reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke to Trump on Saturday and 'expressed concern' about the potential strikes. Reuters also reported the phone call, underscoring the diplomatic pressure on Washington from regional allies worried about the widening conflict and its impact on global oil markets.
What's nextA fragile opening
The claim that the perimeters of a deal have been agreed is a significant development, but Iran has not yet responded to Trump's announcement. The key questions remain: Can a deal be reached 'rapidly' as Trump demands? Will the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a halt to Iran's nuclear programme be achievable terms? And will the military pause hold if negotiations stall?
'We'll be hitting them very hard. At some point, they're going to say, "We just can't take it anymore."' — Donald Trump, during Friday's cabinet meeting
Primary sourcesBBC News