Trump Calls Off Major Strike, Says US-Iran Negotiations Begin Monday

United States President Donald Trump has announced that negotiations with Iran will begin on Monday, following his decision to delay a new military strike against the Islamic Republic in pursuit of a peace agreement. “Clearly, they do not want to be attacked. They know the magnitude of that attack because they saw it being prepared,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday. “What we are doing now is talking to them in the form of negotiations. That begins tomorrow afternoon,” he added, without elaborating on the location or the parties involved in the talks. Earlier on Saturday, Trump withdrew his threat of a massive strike against Iran, which he claimed was initially set to be the largest since the Second World War, but said a framework for a peace deal was now visible. Trump explained the postponement was made at the request of Iran and US partner nations, namely Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. “When the allies ask you to call it off, you have to say, ‘Let’s see.’ And the reason they asked for that is because they think a deal can be reached,” Trump said. “There is a deal regarding the Strait of Hormuz, and then there will be a deal on nuclear, or what you could call the denuclearisation of Iran.” He reiterated the devastating impact the cancelled strike plan would have had. “It would take years to rebuild, if it could be rebuilt at all. I don’t think it could even be rebuilt,” Trump asserted. Trump also revealed that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged him to cancel the attack over fears of unforeseen consequences. “I mean, would they be flooded with people coming into their country and facing disaster? A lot of bad things could happen,” Trump said. The armed conflict began on 28 February when the US and Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran, although fluctuating diplomacy had brought temporary periods of calm. A previous ceasefire agreement, which included the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as a vital global energy supply route, collapsed. Since then, Iran has tightened its control over the critical waterway as mutual attacks between the two countries escalated in recent weeks.