US President Donald Trump said he delayed a military strike on Iran – scheduled for Tuesday – at the request of the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, amid “serious” negotiations to end the war.
Trump’s statements came after Iran submitted an updated 14-point proposal for a deal to end the conflict, while confirming that Pakistani-mediated talks with the US continue.
Imminent Attack Delayed
Trump announced on Monday that he called off a planned attack on Iran – set to take place on Tuesday – following a request by the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman, and the leaders of Qatar and the UAE.
“I have been asked by the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to hold off on our planned Military attack of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was scheduled for tomorrow,” he posted on Truth Social.
“Based on my respect for the above mentioned Leaders, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, The Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Daniel Caine, and The United States Military, that we will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow,” Trump added.
However, the US President warned that he instructed them to stay prepared to proceed with a “full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice” if a deal is not secured.
Prospects for Deal
Trump said that the Gulf leaders told him “serious negotiations are now taking place” and that they expressed hope about reaching a “very acceptable” deal for the Middle East and the US.
He stressed that this deal will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. “This Deal will include, importantly, NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN!” he noted.
Later on Monday, Trump struck an upbeat tone about being close to reaching a deal, saying that this time is a “little bit different.”
“There seems to be a very good chance that they can work something out. If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I’d be very happy,” he told reporters at the White House.
He also said that his Gulf allies asked him to postpone the attack for two or three days but he hoped it could last longer. “We were getting ready to do a very major attack tomorrow. I put it off for a little while – hopefully, maybe, forever – but possibly for a little while, because we’ve had very big discussions with Iran, and we’ll see what they amount to,” he said.
Iran’s Updated Proposal
Iran submitted to the US through Pakistan an updated 14-point proposal, after Trump dismissed a previous one as “totally unacceptable.”
“Iran, in line with the recent practice of exchanging messages, has once again submitted its text in 14 points through the Pakistani mediator after making amendments,” Tasnim News Agency reported, citing a source close to the Iranian negotiating team.
The source said that the new proposal focuses on launching “negotiations to end the war and confidence-building measures by the American side.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed on Monday that mediated negotiations with the US continue, noting that Tehran had responded to a set of revised proposals submitted through Pakistani mediators.
Furthermore, Baqaei said that Iran’s main objective is ending the war, stressing that Tehran “will not compromise on its nuclear rights” and that no detailed discussions on nuclear issues have taken place.
No Major Changes
The updated Iranian proposal closely mirrors the previous one rejected by Trump, Reuters reported citing an Iranian source. It prioritizes ending the war, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the maritime blockade.
The Iranian source said that Washington agreed to release a quarter of Iran’s frozen funds held in foreign banks and showed more flexibility toward letting Tehran carry out some peaceful nuclear activity under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
However, the White House views Iran’s new proposal as “insufficient,” a senior US official and a source briefed on the issue told Axios.
The US official said that Iran’s counterproposal offers stronger verbal assurances against pursuing nuclear weapons, but stops short of outlining concrete commitments to halt uranium enrichment or surrender its existing highly enriched stockpile.
“We are really not making a lot of progress. We are at a very serious place today. The pressure is on them to be responsive in the right way,” the official noted.
Defiant Tone
Iran has maintained its defiant rhetoric in responding to Trump’s announcement. Baqaei emphasized Tehran’s readiness for any scenario, saying that Iran will defend itself with full strength against any “reckless action” and that the Iranian Armed Forces will have “surprises.”
Similarly, Commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters Major General Ali Abdollahi warned the US and its allies against “strategic mistakes or miscalculations,” stressing that any attack will be met with a “swift, decisive, powerful, and extensive” response, according to Tasnim.
