President Donald Trump said he has paused what he described as a “massive” strike on Iran after requests from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Tehran to allow more time for diplomacy. As nuclear talks resume and a Hormuz deal is discussed, shipping through the region remains under pressure. Follow for latest updates on war in West Asia. The US has put a planned military strike on Iran on hold after President Donald Trump said Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Iran urged Washington to give diplomacy another chance. Confirming he had spoken to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump said negotiations with Tehran would begin on Monday afternoon as hopes rise for a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and curb Iran’s nuclear programme. “It was going to be a massive attack…
by far the biggest attack since World War II. But they’ve asked us not to do it. They said, ‘Please don’t do it.’ Their neighbours said that too,” Trump told reporters. He added: “This is asked by Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Iran… We’re holding it… We can do it any time we want.”
Trump said the pause was driven by optimism that “there’s a deal on Hormuz, and then there will be a deal on the nuclear… I call it the denuclearisation of Iran.”
Brent crude is down to $84 per barrel.
The diplomatic push comes as shipping through the region remains fragile. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed sharply following recent attacks on commercial vessels, while two Saudi oil tankers crossed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait over the weekend.
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Iran, meanwhile, said negotiations with Oman over issues related to the Strait of Hormuz are in their final stages, although Tehran maintained those talks are separate from discussions on reopening the strategic waterway. Follow for the latest updates. Home World News US-Iran War Live Updates: Iran says no talks with US; Oman discussions focused on Hormuz shipping
