Trump: Iran deal ‘imminent’ after canceling largest planned operation since WWII

President Donald Trump says renewed US-Iran talks to begin after Gulf states help avert major strike.

By World Israel News Staff

President Donald Trump said renewed negotiations with Iran would begin Monday afternoon after he called off a planned American attack that he described as potentially the largest military operation since World War II.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar had urged him to delay the strike because they believed an agreement with Tehran was within reach. He also claimed Iran had joined the request for more time, although Iranian officials had not confirmed the planned US-Iran talks.

“The deal is imminent, having to do with the Hormuz Strait, and also, ultimately the denuclearization of Iran,” Trump said.

The president did not identify where the negotiations would take place, who would participate or whether the talks would be conducted directly or through regional intermediaries. He also declined to set a deadline for an agreement.

Trump said the US military had been “all set to go, and it would have been a massive attack,” describing the planned operation as “the biggest attack since World War II.” He added that the strike would have caused extensive casualties, saying, “I’m not looking to kill people.”

The president said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman played a significant role in persuading him to stand down.

“They said we would much prefer a deal as opposed to an attack, because you don’t know where these attacks lead,” Trump said, recounting his discussion with the crown prince.

According to the Saudi state news agency, Mohammed bin Salman stressed the need to prioritize dialogue and reduce regional tensions during his call with Trump. Gulf governments were reportedly concerned that a major US attack could prompt Iran to retaliate against energy facilities and other targets across the region, potentially further disrupting global oil supplies.

Trump had announced the decision to cancel the operation in a Truth Social post Saturday night, saying a prospective agreement would require the “Immediate, Complete and Total” reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and “an end to Iran’s nuclear threat.”

“Based on this request, 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,” Trump wrote. He added that Israel had joined him in supporting the diplomatic effort.

However, statements from Tehran appeared to contradict Trump’s assertion that an agreement to fully reopen the strategic waterway was imminent.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said separate negotiations with Oman concerning navigation through the Strait of Hormuz were in their final stages. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said those discussions concerned the creation of a new shipping route acceptable to both Iran and Oman, rather than a return to unrestricted passage through the strait.

Baghaei said the Oman negotiations had “no link to the Strait of Hormuz being opened or closed. That is a separate discussion.”

He also warned that conditions in the waterway “will in no way return to the status it was before February 28th,” when the current war began.

Iran has largely restricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict and has attacked vessels attempting to transit without its authorization. Before the war, approximately one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the narrow waterway, making the strait critical to international energy supplies.

A regional official involved in mediation efforts told the Associated Press that the latest proposal calls for Iran to reopen the strait and halt attacks by Tehran and Iranian-backed groups against Gulf countries and Jordan. In exchange, the US would end its naval blockade and permit Iran to resume oil exports under the terms of an earlier tentative ceasefire agreement.

The official stressed that no final agreement had yet been reached and that negotiations were continuing.

Israel has not formally confirmed Trump’s claim that it had committed to the new diplomatic initiative. Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said Israel remained closely coordinated with the US but warned that Jerusalem would retain freedom to act against renewed Iranian nuclear or ballistic missile activity.

“We will take action, and we will strike,” Cohen said.

Trump similarly emphasized that the decision to suspend the attack could be reversed, saying the US remained capable of launching the operation at any time if negotiations failed.

Oil prices fell sharply following Trump’s announcement, reflecting expectations that an agreement could reduce the threat to Gulf shipping. Brent crude dropped by more than 4% in early Monday trading, although prices remained substantially higher than they were before the war began.