Trump postponed a planned Tuesday attack on Iran at the request of Gulf leaders

US President Donald Trump announced Monday that he had postponed an attack on Iran that was scheduled for Tuesday in response to a request from leaders of Gulf states, stressing that serious negotiations were underway with Tehran.

However, he stressed in a post on Truth Social that the United States is ready to launch a “comprehensive and large-scale attack on Iran at any moment, if an acceptable agreement is not reached”.

He explained that the request to suspend the military operation came from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, noting that they believe that an agreement with Tehran is still possible.

Trump added that the hoped-for agreement must ensure that Iran doesn’t acquire nuclear weapons, without giving any further details.

Prior to Trump’s post, Iran had stressed that it was fully prepared for any eventuality, in response to a previous threat from the US president.

On Sunday, Trump wrote on Truth Social, “As far as Iran is concerned, time is running out… They would better act quickly, or nothing will be left of them”.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei announced during a press conference on Monday that Iran had responded to a new American proposal aimed at ending the war.

“As we announced yesterday, our concerns have been conveyed to the American side,” said Baghaei, noting that communication with Washington is ongoing through the Pakistani mediator.

Baghaei defended Iran’s demands, including the release of frozen Iranian assets abroad and the lifting of long-standing sanctions.

He said that “the points raised are Iranian demands that the Iranian negotiating team strongly defended in all rounds of negotiations”.

He also defended an Iranian demand that the United States pay compensation for damages inflicted on Iran in the war, deeming the dispute illegal and baseless.

From his part, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stressed in a post on X that dialogue doesn’t mean surrender.

He continued, “The Islamic Republic of Iran engages in dialogue with dignity and authority, and with respect for the rights of the nation, and will under no circumstances relinquish the legitimate rights of the people and the country”.

On Sunday, the Iranian Fars news agency reported that Washington had put forward five points, demanding in particular that Iran retain only one nuclear facility and transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the United States.

Fars News Agency noted that Washington refused to release frozen Iranian assets abroad even at a rate of 25%, or to pay any compensation for the damages inflicted on Iran during the war.

On Monday, Tasnim news agency quoted an unnamed source close to the Iranian negotiating delegation as saying that “unlike previous texts, the Americans agreed in a new text to suspend oil sanctions during the negotiation period”.

Iran maintains control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz for oil shipments, while US forces continue to blockade Iranian ports.

Crossings through the strait came to a near standstill, significantly impacting the global economy and driving up oil prices.

Shipping traffic through the strait saw a slight increase last week, approaching the average it recorded during the height of the war raging in the Middle East.

According to data from Kpler, a shipping tracking company, as of Monday morning, a total of 55 cargo ships passed through the strategic waterway between May 11 and 17, representing a significant increase compared to last week, which saw only 19 ships pass through.

On Monday, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council announced the formation of a new body to manage the Strait.

Several Western countries, in addition to the European Union, oppose Iran’s control of the strait, stressing the need to ensure freedom of navigation.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said on Monday that fiber optic internet cables running through the Strait of Hormuz could be subject to a permit system.

A statement by the Revolutionary Guard stated, “Following the imposition of its control over the Strait of Hormuz, Iran, based on its absolute sovereignty over the seabed and subsoil in its territorial waters… can declare that all fiber optic cables passing through this waterway are subject to a permit system”.