Trump says he's cancelling strikes on Iran as 'perimeters of a deal' agreed

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he is cancelling a new attack on Iran after Tehran and a number of unspecified Middle Eastern countries asked the United States to delay strikes as the "perimeters of a deal" had been agreed. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that the deal would include the "Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT" and an end to Iran's nuclear threat.

The president added that he had called off the strikes on the condition that a deal could be reached "rapidly," but warned that US forces remain "locked and loaded and ready to go." "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 said, adding that "The Country of Israel joins me in this commitment."

The announcement came after the US State Department issued a warning to Americans in the Middle East to be on alert for potential escalation. "Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise caution and heightened vigilance and should be prepared for flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions," the security update said on Saturday.

On Friday, Trump had said he was "losing faith" in a peace deal and threatened to hit Iran "very hard." The conflict between Washington and Tehran has been ongoing since late February, when the US and Israel carried out a series of strikes on Iran, prompting the Iranian military to effectively close the Strait of Hormuz — a vital energy chokepoint that carries roughly a quarter of global seaborne oil trade.

After a brief pause, strikes resumed earlier this week when Tehran launched ballistic missiles against US forces stationed in the Middle East. Washington responded by targeting dozens of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) locations, including missile and drone facilities and military command centers, according to the US military. "The strikes aimed to further diminish threats posed by Iran and its proxies to American forces, commercial shipping, and neighboring Gulf countries," US Central Command said.

In June, the two nations appeared to make progress toward a peace deal by signing a "memorandum of understanding." The provisional agreement required an end to hostilities, the US to remove its naval blockade of Iran, and Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and reaffirm that it "shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons." Washington and Tehran were given 60 days to reach a final deal, but ongoing strikes have cast doubt on negotiations over implementing the agreement.