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Trump cancels Iran strike
President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he cancelled a planned massive military strike against Iran after receiving a request from Tehran and other Middle Eastern countries to hold off, while saying the parameters of a deal have been agreed to.
“Trump announced on Saturday that he has cancelled a planned massive military strike against Iran”
In his Truth Social post, Trump wrote, "The US is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran," but added that he had been asked to hold off any attack in the perimeters of a deal.
Trump said the agreed parameters would include the immediate, complete, and total opening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to Iran's nuclear threat, and he said the Country of Israel joins the commitment.
NPR reported that Trump said the U.S. and Israel were preparing to target Iran's energy infrastructure this weekend, and that Iran had not yet responded to Trump's comments.
NPR also reported that Mehr, a semi-official news agency sponsored by the Iranian government, dismissed Trump's claims as "simply a new lie," citing unnamed Iranian military officials.
Debate over who asked
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke with Trump and emphasized the necessity of prioritizing dialogue to de-escalate tensions, according to a statement carried by Saudi Arabia's state news agency.
NPR quoted the Saudi statement saying the crown prince emphasized "the importance of exerting all possible efforts to achieve a truce" to preserve security and stability and prevent the region from being drawn into a wider conflict.
Iran’s acting Defense Minister, Seyyed Majid Ibn Al-Reza, said in a state media post on X that "we consider every threat to be real and take it seriously," after Trump’s announcement.
In a separate response, the Iranian defense establishment framed Trump’s remarks as psychological warfare, with Brigadier General Majid Ibn al-Ridha saying Tehran will not be fooled and will treat all threats as serious.
Kurdistan24 reported that the scale of the cancelled military action included CENTCOM preparing options for a 10 to 14-day intensive air campaign targeting Tehran's missile capabilities.
Hormuz talks and next moves
As Trump tied the cancellation to rapid deal-making, BBC reported that Abbas Araghchi said negotiations between Iran and Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz are on track to be finalized and are in their final stages.
“talks are on track to be finalized and are in their final stages”
BBC said Ismail Baghaei, spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, described Tehran–Muscat talks as aiming to reach an agreement on a corridor and a specific route in the Strait of Hormuz between the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea.
DW Persian News Desk reported that Ismail Bagheri said "Under no circumstances will the Strait of Hormuz return to its previous state," and stressed that the understanding between Iran and Oman does not mean the Strait will be opened or closed.
i24NEWS reported that Iran denied reaching a deal to reopen the Hormuz Strait, saying the news is "not true" and that the strait will remain closed as long as the United States continues its "hostile acts."
CNBC added that a temporary ceasefire following a memorandum of understanding signed on June 17 has effectively broken down, with both sides still at odds over Iran's nuclear program and control of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
