U.S. President Donald Trump has said he has delayed plans for a fresh military strike on Iran after leaders from key Gulf states urged him to allow more time for negotiations.
The planned attack, which Trump said had been set for Tuesday, was paused following appeals from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. In a post on Truth Social, he said those governments had asked Washington to hold back because “serious negotiations are now taking place.”
He added that he had been told a potential agreement could be “very acceptable” to the United States, while insisting there would be “NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN!”
Trump, however, made clear that the military option remains on the table. He warned that the U.S. could still “go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice” if the talks do not produce an acceptable outcome.
The decision comes amid growing concern across the Gulf over the risk of Iranian retaliation. Regional governments fear that any new U.S. strike could trigger attacks on airports, energy facilities, military sites, and desalination plants, raising the possibility of a wider conflict that could disrupt both security and global energy supplies.
A senior Iranian military commander warned Washington not to make “strategic mistakes and miscalculations again.”
Speaking later to reporters, Trump described the diplomatic opening as “a very positive development, but we’ll see whether or not it amounts to anything.” He said earlier efforts had come close to success before collapsing, adding, “We’ve had periods of time where we had, we thought, pretty much getting close to making a deal, and it didn’t work out. But this is a little bit different.”
Trump said there appeared to be “a very good chance” of reaching an agreement. “If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I would be very happy.”
The conflict began on 28 February, when U.S. and Israeli forces launched major air strikes on Iran. Tehran retaliated with missiles and drones aimed at Israel and U.S.-linked targets in the Gulf. A ceasefire agreed in April has largely held, although occasional exchanges have continued.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the biggest flashpoints. Iran has maintained control over the vital waterway, through which a significant share of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes, while the U.S. has continued to enforce a blockade of Iranian ports.
The pressure on Trump is also growing at home. A New York Times/Siena poll published on Monday found that 64% of voters believed the war with Iran was the wrong decision, while his approval rating stood at 37%.