Trump cancels planned Iran strikes, says a deal may be near

International

DIPLOMACY is back on the table after Donald Trump called off planned US strikes on Iran, saying Washington and Tehran could return to negotiations early this week.

Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said Iran had seen the attack taking shape and that negotiations would begin the following afternoon.

“They knew the extent of the attack because they saw it forming,” he said in a BBC report.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said Iran and US allies in the Middle East had asked him to “hold off” on military action, claiming the “perimeters” of a deal had been agreed.

Iran has not confirmed that talks will take place.

The semi-official Mehr news agency rejected Trump’s account, saying Tehran had not asked Washington to suspend military action and describing his claim as “nothing but a new lie”.

Trump declined to set a deadline for an agreement, saying the US remained ready to act but that he was not seeking further deaths.

He said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, along with partners including the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, had urged him not to launch the strikes. Trump said the allies believed agreements could be reached on both the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme.

Oil prices fell in Asian trading on Monday following Trump’s announcement. Brent crude dropped 4.5% to $83.98 (£62.26), while US-traded oil fell 4.6% to $80.74 (£59.85).

Energy markets have fluctuated since the conflict began on 28 February amid concerns over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that negotiations with Oman over an agreement on the strait were “on track for finalisation”, according to Iranian media.

The venue and participants for Monday’s proposed US-Iran talks remain unclear.

Trump said the abandoned strikes would have been “the biggest attack since World War II” and could have damaged prospects for diplomacy. He declined to say whether Iranian energy infrastructure was among the intended targets; international law experts have warned such attacks could constitute a war crime.

Iranian acting Defence Minister Majid Ibn al-Reza said Tehran regarded threats from its adversaries as credible, including those intended as psychological warfare.

“We will neither be caught off guard nor remain passive,” he said in the same article.

Trump had earlier threatened military action while repeatedly leaving open the possibility of negotiations. His latest diplomatic push follows unsuccessful face-to-face talks in Pakistan led by Vice-President JD Vance.

The conflict has also generated domestic political concerns for the Trump administration, with polling showing dissatisfaction over its handling and economic effects. Some conservative strategists have expressed concern about the war’s implications ahead of November’s midterm elections.(MyTVCebu)