Trump says delaying Iran attack at request of Gulf leaders

US President Donald Trump said Monday he was delaying a planned military strike on Iran, scheduled for Tuesday, after the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates urged him to hold off.

Trump announced the decision on Truth Social, citing active negotiations with Tehran. He warned that a "full, large scale assault" remained on the table if talks failed.

Why did Trump delay the Iran attack?

Trump delayed the Iran attack because Gulf leaders told him serious negotiations were underway and a deal was within reach. The leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE asked him to pause military action to give diplomacy more time.

Trump said he deferred "based on my respect" for those leaders, while keeping the US military on standby.

What did Gulf leaders ask Trump to do?

The leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE contacted Trump directly to request a pause on military action. They told him a deal was near that would leave Iran without nuclear weapons, which Tehran denies pursuing.

Trump said the Gulf states asked for two to three days to finalize a potential agreement.

Trump announced the postponement on Truth Social, saying he had instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman General Daniel Caine and the US military to stand down from the scheduled strike. He added that the military had been ordered to remain ready to launch "a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment's notice" if talks collapsed.

Speaking at a White House event later, Trump said there had been a "very positive development" and expressed hope that military force could be avoided.

What are Iran's conditions for a deal?

Iran has repeatedly rebuffed Trump's proposals and is demanding the release of frozen assets abroad, the lifting of long-standing sanctions, and reparations for the war. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, considered a moderate in a system increasingly dominated by the hardline Revolutionary Guards, said talks with Washington "does not mean surrender."

Iran's foreign ministry confirmed exchanges with the United States through mediator Pakistan, saying Tehran had made its "concerns" clear.

Iran's Fars news agency reported that the US had presented a five-point proposal, including a demand for Iran to operate only one nuclear site and transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the United States. US authorities had refused to release Iranian frozen assets or pay reparations, Fars said. Iran's Tasnim news agency, citing a source close to the negotiating team, said the United States had made one new concession by agreeing to waive oil sanctions while negotiations were underway.

How is Iran controlling the Strait of Hormuz?

Iran has largely kept the Strait of Hormuz closed since the start of the war, sending global oil prices spiraling. The strait is a vital energy conduit, and Iran's control of it has become a central point of leverage in negotiations.

On Monday, the newly formed Persian Gulf Strait Authority said it would provide real-time updates on the waterway via X, while the Revolutionary Guards said internet fiber optic cables passing through the strait could be brought under an Iranian permit system.

Iran's earlier proposal called for an end to the war on all fronts, including Israel's campaign in Lebanon, as well as a halt to a US naval blockade on Iranian ports in place since April 13. That proposal also emphasised that Tehran would continue to manage the strait. Hoping to ease pressure on global oil supplies, the US Treasury extended by 30 days a sanctions waiver for Russian oil cargoes already at sea.

What military pressure is Iran applying in the region?

Iran has been increasing military pressure alongside the diplomatic activity. The Revolutionary Guards said Monday they struck groups linked to the United States and Israel within the Iranian province of Kurdistan, near the border with Iraq.

They alleged the groups were attempting to smuggle a large shipment of American weapons into Iran from northern Iraq.

A drone strike on Sunday, unclaimed but which a UAE official appeared to blame on Iran, triggered a fire near a nuclear power station in Abu Dhabi. The strike raised fears across the region at a moment when diplomatic talks remain fragile. The UAE has accused Iran of launching drone and missile attacks despite the ongoing ceasefire.

What do analysts make of Trump's latest move?

Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Washington-based Quincy Institute think tank, said Trump's announcement was aimed at recasting himself as in control of events.

The Gulf Arabs' warning against an attack "could be true, but either way, they provide him with a face-saving exit from his previous threats," Parsi said. Analysts at the Gulf International Forum noted that the Gulf states' priorities center on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and halting Iranian missile attacks, rather than the nuclear question alone.