- President Donald Trump said the US was canceling a planned attack on Iran, citing progress in talks, and said the US was locked and loaded but agreed to requests from Iran and other Middle Eastern countries to hold off.
- Trump said the proposed agreement would include immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to Iran's nuclear threat, with Israel joining the pause, contingent on being able to rapidly make a DEAL.
- Trump spoke with Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday; the crown prince reinforced Saudi Arabia's desire for de-escalation and raised concerns about plans for potential strikes on Iran.
- At a Cabinet meeting Friday, Trump said “We will be hitting them very hard”; earlier in the week, US and Saudi fighter aircraft struck sites in Iraq after drones were launched from Iranian-backed militias toward Saudi Arabia.
- Mediating nations, including Qatar and Pakistan, have been urgently working to stave off a new escalation, with an immediate goal of an Iran-Oman arrangement to allow commercial traffic to resume through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Iran would respond forcefully to further US “aggression” and decisively and proportionally to “any aggression” from the US, Israel or other regional countries; Iran also warned Gulf states hosting US bases that cooperating nations “will burn in the fires of war.”
- The State Department renewed warnings that Americans in the Middle East should be prepared for flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions, and said US citizens planning to travel there should seriously reconsider.
- Global oil and gas prices were rising again following renewed US-Iran tensions; CNN military analyst Cedric Leighton, a former US Air Force colonel, said both Riyadh and Tehran need to avoid escalation and that the Iranians were probably “buying some time” under pressure.
President Donald Trump has called off a planned military strike on Iran, citing significant progress in diplomatic talks aimed at de-escalating tensions in the region.
Trump stated that the US is "locked and loaded" but agreed to hold off on military action as negotiations advance.12
The proposed agreement aims to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and address Iran's nuclear ambitions.910
Trump emphasized that Israel supports this pause in strikes, contingent on the ability to finalize a deal.
In a call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the prince expressed a desire for de-escalation and raised concerns about potential strikes on Iran.56
Mediating nations, including Qatar and Pakistan, are actively working to prevent further escalation, with an immediate goal of resuming commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian officials have warned of a strong response to any US aggression, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stating that Iran would respond decisively to any attacks.111213
The US State Department has advised citizens to reconsider travel to the Middle East amid rising tensions, as global oil prices continue to climb.1415
CNN military analyst Cedric Leighton noted that both Riyadh and Tehran must avoid escalating hostilities, suggesting that Iran may be buying time through these negotiations.161718
“Mediators from Qatar and Pakistan have been urgently working to broker an Iran-Oman arrangement to resume commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, with Saudi Arabia's crown prince pressing de-escalation in a Saturday call. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned Tehran would respond forcefully to further US 'aggression' as oil and gas prices rise.”
