Trump says paused planned attack on Iran as nuclear deal hopes rise

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has said he had paused a planned attack on Iran after Tehran sent a new peace proposal to Washington, adding there was now a “very good chance” of reaching a deal over Iran’s nuclear programme.

Trump said he instructed the US military not to proceed with a scheduled strike on Iran after receiving the proposal, while warning that American forces remained ready to launch a “full, large scale assault” at short notice if talks failed.

The US president did not provide details about the alleged planned attack, which had not been publicly announced earlier, and Reuters could not independently verify whether preparations for such strikes had been underway.

The latest development comes amid efforts to end weeks of conflict triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, which escalated tensions across the Middle East and disrupted shipping through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had urged him to delay military action, expressing confidence that a diplomatic agreement could still be achieved.

Speaking to reporters later, Trump said Washington’s main objective was to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

“There seems to be a very good chance that they can work something out. If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I would be very happy,” he said.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed that Tehran’s position had been conveyed to the United States through Pakistan, though he did not elaborate on the contents of the proposal.

A Pakistani source familiar with the diplomatic efforts confirmed Islamabad had passed Iran’s latest proposal to Washington, but cautioned that negotiations remained difficult as both sides continued shifting their demands.

“We don’t have much time,” the source said.

Iranian officials, meanwhile, maintained a defiant tone in statements carried by state media. Iran’s top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya, warned that the country’s armed forces were prepared to respond forcefully to any renewed US attack.

“Any renewed aggression and invasion will be responded to quickly, decisively, powerfully, and extensively,” commander Ali Abdollahi was quoted as saying by Tasnim News Agency.

According to a senior Iranian source, Tehran’s latest proposal centres on ending the war, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting maritime sanctions imposed on Iran.

The source also claimed Washington had shown greater flexibility by agreeing to release part of Iran’s frozen overseas assets and allowing limited peaceful nuclear activity under supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The United States has not officially confirmed any such concessions.

Separately, Tasnim reported that Washington had agreed to waive oil sanctions on Iran during ongoing negotiations. However, a US official dismissed the report as false.

Despite a fragile ceasefire holding after six weeks of conflict, tensions remain high across the region. Drones launched from Iraq towards Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, have continued to raise concerns about a wider regional escalation.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry on Monday condemned a drone attack intercepted by Saudi Arabia a day earlier after three drones reportedly entered Saudi airspace from Iraq.