President Donald Trump said Saturday he is calling off planned strikes on Iran, contingent on a “rapid” deal.
In his Saturday Truth Social post, President Trump wrote the agreement’s “perimeters,” he said, include full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to Tehran’s nuclear program.
In the post, Trump said the U.S. was “locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II.” He said he cancelled the strikes after being “asked” by Iran and other Middle East nations to “hold off” to allow a deal to be reached.
Hormuz Reopening
Trump said Israel agreed to the decision after Iran and its regional allies requested a ceasefire, with the terms of the agreement reportedly finalized. The announcement came after U.S. media reported that the United States and Israel were planning joint strikes on Iranian energy facilities. The conflict, which began in February, has repeatedly disrupted shipping through the Strait, a key route that carries about one-fifth of the world’s crude oil shipments.
Iran has not confirmed the terms, and the State Department has warned Americans in the Middle East to prepare for travel disruptions amid lingering escalation risk.
Earlier on Saturday, Kuwait’s armed forces intercepted drone attacks by Iran. Kuwait hosts U.S. military forces in the region.
The deal announcement also follows Iran’s claim earlier this week that it destroyed three U.S. F-35 jets and killed American personnel in retaliatory missile strikes, while asserting “full control” of the Strait of Hormuz.
