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.