US President Donald Trump said he had postponed a fresh military attack on Iran after Tehran and several Middle Eastern countries requested time to negotiate an agreement aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and addressing Iran’s nuclear programme.
In a post on Truth Social late Saturday, Trump said he had agreed to cancel the planned attack on the condition that a deal could be reached quickly.
Trump said the proposed agreement would result in the “immediate, complete and total” reopening of the strategic waterway and bring an end to what he described as Iran’s nuclear threat.
“Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the world and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a deal,” he wrote.
Trump added that Israel had joined him in supporting the decision. The Israeli government did not immediately issue a public statement.
The announcement followed warnings from Tehran that it would respond decisively to any further attacks by the United States or Israel.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi delivered the warning during separate telephone conversations with senior officials from Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
According to statements published through Araqchi’s Telegram account, he told Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan that Iran would respond firmly to any new aggression.
The Iranian foreign minister also discussed what he described as destabilising US actions and the risk that further escalation could deepen insecurity across the region.
In a separate call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Araqchi warned that any attack by the United States or Israel — or the participation of regional countries in such an operation — would receive a “proportionate response.”
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also spoke with Trump on Saturday. A White House official confirmed that the conversation had taken place but provided no further details.
Axios, citing a US official, reported that the Saudi crown prince expressed concern and sought clarification about Washington’s plans toward Iran.
Nournews, an outlet affiliated with Iran’s top security establishment, warned that attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure could trigger retaliatory strikes against oil and gas facilities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Israel.
The threats came after Kuwait said its air defences had destroyed Iranian drones targeting several vital facilities.
The Kuwaiti military said a government facility in the north of the country and civilian property belonging to a company on Bubiyan Island were damaged on Saturday. Falling debris caused material damage, but no casualties were reported.
At a cabinet meeting at Camp David on Friday, Trump said he still believed US negotiators could secure an agreement with Tehran.
The US negotiating team includes presidential adviser Jared Kushner, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
However, Trump also expressed growing frustration with Iran, accusing Tehran of repeatedly breaking its commitments and warning that the United States could resume military action if negotiations failed.
Iran has made similar accusations against Washington, particularly over previous nuclear agreements and sanctions commitments.
Pressure over Strait of Hormuz
The possibility of an agreement has taken on greater urgency as the conflict continues to disrupt shipping and push global energy prices higher.
US and Israeli forces began strikes on Iran on February 28, triggering a wider confrontation that has severely restricted commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
The strait is one of the world’s most important energy corridors, carrying a significant share of internationally traded oil and liquefied natural gas.
Fears of Iranian attacks have deterred most commercial vessels from using the waterway, disrupting supply chains and sending shockwaves through the global economy.
Benchmark Brent crude prices rose 24 percent in July, while analysts surveyed by Reuters expect oil prices to increase further during the year.
Trump has argued that preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons justifies higher short-term energy costs. However, rising fuel prices have increased domestic political pressure on his administration to bring the war to an end.
Concerns have also grown over shipping routes through the Red Sea.
Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen recently renewed threats against vessels passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another crucial route for Saudi oil exports and ships travelling toward the Suez Canal.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said it received reports of two maritime security incidents off Oman on Saturday.
In one incident, an unidentified projectile struck a tanker and damaged its engine room. In the second, the captain of another tanker reported a large splash and an explosion near the vessel, although no damage was recorded.