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WNAM REPORT: US President Donald Trump said Monday afternoon he had called off a strike on Iran planned for Tuesday after an appeal by the leaders of Persian Gulf, who called for more time to pursue a diplomatic resolution.
The president in a Truth Social post said he told Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth and other top defence officials that “we will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow, but have further instructed them to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached.”
An ultimate agreement, Trump said, “will include, importantly, NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN!”
The president decided to halt the planned attack he said following appeals from the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
According to Trump, the three Gulf leaders conveyed confidence that “serious negotiations” were underway and argued that a diplomatic agreement acceptable to both Washington and regional powers could still be reached.
The president said the proposed understanding would include a guarantee of “no nuclear weapons for Iran,” describing it as a deal that could benefit not only the United States but also the wider Middle East.
His comments marked the first public acknowledgment that Washington had been preparing military action against Iran for May 19.
Earlier, Iran said it had submitted an updated 14-point proposal to the United States through mediator Pakistan as part of efforts to revive negotiations and prevent a return to open conflict. Iranian officials said the proposal focused on ending hostilities, easing sanctions-related pressure and rebuilding confidence between the two sides.
Pakistan, which has emerged as a key intermediary between Washington and Tehran in recent weeks, reportedly conveyed the latest Iranian proposal amid mounting concern among regional powers over the risk of renewed war.
Reuters news agency reported that Tehran’s revised framework included demands related to sanctions relief, frozen Iranian assets and broader regional de-escalation measures.
Trump’s statement comes after weeks of escalating rhetoric surrounding the future of the ceasefire reached in mid-April. Over the weekend, he warned Tehran that time was running out to secure a deal with Washington.
“For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them,” Trump wrote in an earlier post.
The ceasefire has remained under strain amid unresolved disputes over Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions relief, regional security arrangements and maritime tensions around the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, Pakistan and other regional mediators have intensified diplomatic engagement in recent days amid concerns that renewed fighting could further destabilize the broader Middle East and severely disrupt global energy markets.
Trump’s latest remarks suggest that while diplomacy remains active, the threat of military operation continues to loom over the negotiations as both Washington and Tehran remain far apart on several core issues.
