Trump cancels Iran strikes, says deal must be reached quickly

US President Donald Trump has announced that he called off planned military strikes against Iran, saying he wants to first try to reach an agreement with Tehran. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the attack was cancelled on condition that a deal can be reached quickly. According to him, such an agreement would require Iran to immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz and abandon its nuclear programme threat.

Trump said the decision was made together with Israel. His statement came after US media reported that Washington might launch intense strikes on Iran over the weekend. Earlier, Tehran accused the United States of escalating tensions, warning that any regional country cooperating with Washington would be "engulfed by the flames of war".

In his social media post, Trump said the US military was ready to act against Iran "at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II". However, he said he cancelled the strikes after Iran and other Middle Eastern countries asked him to hold off and allow a diplomatic deal to be reached.

Meanwhile, the US State Department had issued a security alert for Americans across the Middle East. The alert, published on Saturday, urged US citizens to remain vigilant and be prepared for possible flight cancellations, temporary airspace closures and other travel disruptions if the situation escalates. It also advised people to be ready to leave the region.