The US President Donald Trump has held off his planned attack on Iran, following interventions by some of the leaders of the Gulf State.
According to Trump, he was asked by Qatari Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani; Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman; and UAE President, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan “to hold off on our planned Military attack” on Iran, “which was scheduled for tomorrow.”
Trump said the Gulf leaders had noted “that serious negotiations are now taking place, and that, in their opinion, as great leaders and Allies, a deal will be made, which will be very acceptable to the United States of America, as well as all countries in the Middle East, and beyond.
“This Deal will include, importantly, NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN!” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
“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, 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.”
Before Mr. Trump’s announcement, Iran had said it conveyed another amended set of terms for a potential peace deal.
Tehran said it was focused entirely on an agreement to end the war and has not yet “discussed any details regarding nuclear matters.”
But Trump had warned Sunday that “the Clock is Ticking” for Iran to accept a peace agreement, and “there won’t be anything left of them if the Islamic Republic’s leaders don’t get moving, FAST.”
The White House Deputy Press Secretary, Anna Kelly, has also said, “Iran must renounce their nuclear ambitions for good.”
In an interview with Fox News yesterday, Kelly said,”Nothing has changed” in regard to Iran and that Mr. Trump remaine focused on the country’s nuclear programme.
“The Iranian ability to enrich has been totally decimated by Operation Midnight Hammer,” she said, referring to the June 2025 strikes on several Iranian nuclear facilities.
“This enriched uranium that they possess, they can’t keep it. President Trump has been very clear about that. That is one of the red lines in these negotiations.
“The president has made our red lines in these negotiations very clear: Iran must renounce their nuclear ambitions for good.”
Meanwhile, oil prices and stock markets worldwide swung through a shaky Monday with uncertainty about what would happen with the Iran war.
The S&P 500 swiveled between gains and losses before finishing with a dip of 0.1%, its second loss since setting an all-time high last week.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 159 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.5% after both indexes likewise yo-yoed.
Stock prices moved in the opposite direction of oil prices, which have been twitchy because of uncertainty about how long the Iran war will keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and prevent oil tankers from delivering crude.
The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil, the international standard, went from a high of $112 overnight to below $107 in the morning before turning back higher.