Donald Trump has announced he will “hold off" on huge strikes planned to target Iran tomorrow, provided peace talks go smoothly.
The President revealed an attack scheduled for tomorrow might be avoided, given “serious negotiations are now taking place" – but all provided Iran forfeits nuclear capability.
Taking to Truth Social, Mr Trump said a “full, large-scale assault of Iran" was ready "on a moment’s notice" in the event a deal could not be reached.
He said talks will lead to a deal “which will be very acceptable to the United States of America, as well as all countries in the Middle East, and beyond”.
“This deal will include, importantly, no nuclear weapons for Iran", the President stressed, pausing strikes after requests from the Emir of Qatar, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and the President of the United Arab Emirates.
Mr Trump threatened Iran he is “not open” to backing down, and “there won’t be anything left” of the regime if its leaders do not move fast to make a deal to end the conflict.
Peace talks between Washington and Tehran have stalled in recent weeks, as a fragile temporary ceasefire stretched to its limits in the Strait of Hormuz.
He threatened on Truth Social: “For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, fast, or there won’t be anything left of them."
A 'full, large scale assault of Iran' was ready 'on a moment’s notice', the President said
| GETTYYesterday, Iranian news agency, Mehr, said a lack of compromise on the US's part would lead to an "impasse in the negotiations".
Mr Trump said earlier this week the ceasefire was on "massive life support" after the US rejected Iran's demands.
He labelled the Iranian counter to US proposals "totally unacceptable".
According to Iranian media, the Islamic Republic's proposals include an end to the conflict on all fronts, referencing the Israeli attacks on Lebanon, where Tehran's ally Hezbollah is situated.
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Mr Trump, returning from China after last week's state visit, spoke to reporters on Air Force One, saying the US and Iran had agreed Tehran would not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and must reopen the critical shipping lane, the Strait of Hormuz.
On March 2, Iran declared the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, meaning commercial vessels could not pass through the waterway safely.
As a consequence, oil barrel prices have experienced price shocks, with petrol and diesel costs in the UK going up as a knock-on effect.
In peacetime, roughly 20 per cent of the world's oil passes through the strait.
In April, Vice President JD Vance had rejected Iran's terms to halt uranium enrichment for five years, countering with a minimum of a 20-year ban instead.
During his first term, Mr Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement brokered by Barack Obama's administration, pointing to so-called sunset clauses which would have allowed certain restrictions on Iran to lapse over time.
Benjamin Netanyahu has said Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium must be "taken out" before the conflict can be considered over.
The Israeli Prime Minister was a fierce opponent of the 2015 deal, arguing its sunset clauses left open the possibility of Iran eventually acquiring nuclear weapons and continuing to pose a significant threat to Israel.
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