Trump delays strikes on Iran at request of Gulf leaders
Shafaq News- Washington/ Tehran
The USPresident Donald Trump announced Monday he would delay his plan to strike Iran, which was scheduled for Tuesday, in hopes of further diplomatic negotiations.
He added that he reconsidered the strikes after requests made by Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and President of the United Arab Emirates Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The Gulf leaders asked him “to hold off on our planned Military attack on the Islamic Republic of Iran, in that serious negotiations are now taking place,” he added, affirming that the deal will include “no nuclear weapons for Iran.”
Trump said he instructed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Daniel Caine “to be prepared to go forward with a full, large-scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached.”
Earlier in the day, Trump said he is “not open” to any concessions to Iran, stressing that Tehran wants a deal because it “knows what will happen soon.” In an interview with the New York Post, Trump reiterated his rejection of any 20-year moratorium on Iran’s uranium enrichment program. “I’m not open to anything right now.”
Axios, citing US officials, reported that he would negotiate with Iran using the language of “bombs” if Tehran does not change its position in the talks or offer what Washington considers meaningful concessions regarding its nuclear program.
The US Central Command announced that 84 commercial vessels had been rerouted and four ships disrupted since the start of the naval blockade on Iran.
In Tehran, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency quoted a source close to the Iranian negotiating team as saying that disagreements with the United States remain despite amendments made by Washington to its proposal, adding that Tehran would not abandon its conditions for ending the war.
“Iran would continue pressing for the return of frozen assets,” the source vowed, stressing that written promises regarding those rights were insufficient. He added that Tehran would not retreat from what he described as its principled positions on ending the war.
“Iran is serious about the necessity of the United States paying compensation because of the war,” the source said.
The source also called on Washington to understand that ending the war would not come in exchange for nuclear commitments, adding that the United States was trying to link negotiations on ending the conflict to the nuclear issue, which Tehran rejects.
Separately, Iranian Defense Ministry spokesman Brigadier General Reza Talaei said a large part of Iran’s capabilities had not yet been used, warning that Tehran would respond more forcefully to any attack against it. “Iran is prepared for all scenarios.”
