Trump holds off fresh Iran attack as hopes rise for quick deal

US President Donald Trump said he would hold off on a threatened new attack on Iran, allowing negotiators time to pursue a rapid agreement covering Tehran’s nuclear activities and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump wrote on Truth Social late on Saturday that Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had requested time to conclude an agreement. He described the goal as the “Immediate, Complete and Total” reopening of the strait and indicated that the attack would remain suspended if a deal could be secured quickly.

He added that Israel had joined him in the commitment. The Israeli government did not immediately issue a public statement.

Iran warns of retaliation as diplomacy continues

Before Trump’s announcement, Iran had warned Washington against any “adventurous action”, maintaining that it would retaliate decisively if US forces carried out another attack on Iranian targets.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi delivered the warning during separate telephone conversations on Saturday with Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

Araqchi told Munir and Fidan that Iran would respond firmly to any “aggression”. He also discussed the potential consequences of US actions and the risk of further regional instability, according to a post on his Telegram account.

During a later conversation with Prince Faisal, Araqchi warned that attacks by the United States or Israel, as well as participation by other regional countries in such actions, would be met with a “proportionate response”.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also spoke with Trump on Saturday. A US official told Axios that the crown prince had expressed concern and requested clarification of Washington’s plans for Iran. A White House official confirmed the conversation to Reuters but provided no further details.

The diplomatic exchanges followed an announcement by Kuwait’s army that it had destroyed drones it identified as Iranian after they targeted several vital facilities.

Nournews, which is affiliated with Iran’s highest security body, warned that US attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure could prompt strikes against oilfields in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as gas fields in Qatar and Israel.

At a cabinet meeting at Camp David on Friday, Trump expressed confidence that US negotiators could still reach an agreement. The negotiating team included his son-in-law Jared Kushner, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

However, Trump also voiced growing frustration with Tehran, saying: “They break their word so often” — an accusation Tehran has frequently levelled at Washington — before warning that the US would be “hitting them”.

Hormuz disruption keeps pressure on energy markets

Oil prices have remained high since the conflict began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

Trump has argued that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons justifies higher fuel prices in the short term. However, the economic impact has increased political pressure on his administration to find a way to end the conflict.

Benchmark Brent crude futures rose by 24% in July, while analysts surveyed by Reuters expect prices to rise further this year.

The threat of Iranian attacks has deterred most shipping through the Strait of Hormuz since the fighting began. The waterway is a critical route for global energy supplies, and the disruption has affected economies worldwide.

In Kuwait, a government facility in the north of the country and civilian property owned by a company on Bubiyan Island were hit on Saturday. Falling shrapnel caused material damage, but no casualties were reported, according to the Kuwaiti army.

Concerns have also grown over the Bab el-Mandeb, another important route for Saudi crude exports at the opposite end of the Red Sea from the Suez Canal. Iran’s Houthi allies in Yemen have recently threatened shipping through the waterway.

UK Maritime Trade Operations received reports of two incidents off Oman on Saturday. In one, an unidentified projectile struck a tanker and damaged its engine room.

In the other, a tanker’s master reported seeing a large splash followed by an explosion close to the vessel. No damage was reported.

Source: Reuters