Washington: US President Donald Trump has announced a temporary suspension of planned military action against Iran, saying key Gulf leaders urged Washington to allow more time for diplomatic efforts that could lead to a broader agreement on Tehran’s nuclear programme.
The announcement came late Monday through Trump’s social media platform, where he revealed that leaders from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had directly requested a short delay in the scheduled operation.
According to Trump, the United States had been preparing for a large-scale strike expected to take place on Tuesday, but the plan has now been placed on hold as fresh negotiations with Iran gather momentum.
Speaking later at the White House, Trump said Gulf allies had conveyed optimism that ongoing backchannel talks could soon produce a framework acceptable to all sides.
He indicated that the requested pause would likely last only a few days, allowing diplomatic channels a final opportunity to deliver results.
The US President stressed that any potential understanding must include a firm guarantee preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability.
Trump said he had instructed Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and senior military leadership to pause immediate offensive action while keeping all operational plans ready for execution at short notice if talks collapse.
He made it clear that while diplomacy was being given priority, military preparedness remained fully active.
Sources familiar with developments indicated Trump had spoken personally with Gulf leaders ahead of the announcement, with discussions reportedly centred on regional stability and avoiding a wider conflict.
The White House is expected to review the evolving situation during a high-level national security meeting later this week.
Trump described the diplomatic opening as encouraging but acknowledged previous negotiations with Tehran had repeatedly failed to produce lasting outcomes.
He noted, however, that current discussions appear more substantial than earlier efforts.
The latest development follows weeks of heightened tension after the US and Israel launched military operations against Iran earlier this year, followed by a ceasefire agreement in April that opened the door for peace negotiations.
While uncertainty remains over whether the talks will produce a final accord, the temporary pause has raised cautious hopes of a negotiated solution that could ease tensions across West Asia.
