Zürcher Nachrichten - Trump says US, Israel to hold off on Iran strikes

Fears had mounted that the fighting could escalate once again after Trump threatened to hit Iran "very hard" and was reportedly considering renewed heavy attacks, including against energy infrastructure.

Trump said the US was "locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran," but added that Tehran and other Middle Eastern countries had asked him to hold off on fresh strikes.

"Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

The US president said the deal would have to include the "Immediate, Complete and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran's nuclear threat."

"The Country of Israel joins me in this commitment. Get to work, everybody, and get it DONE."

After more than five months of war, which began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Tehran, there is seemingly no end to the conflict in sight.

A previous ceasefire deal with similar terms, including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, fell through, and Iran has since tightened its control over the vital waterway as the two countries resumed attacks against each other in recent weeks.

The resumption of hostilities has caused global oil prices, which had dipped during the initial ceasefire, to again rise.

And the back-and-forth comes just three months before midterm elections in the United States that could pose a challenge for Trump's Republican Party.

- 'Eager to do a deal' -

US embassies in capitals across the Middle East had warned their citizens on Saturday to beware of "unforeseen escalation" in the regional conflict and urged them to be ready to leave.

CBS News said that the United States and Israel were planning joint strikes, possibly throughout the weekend, with oil refineries and power plants among possible targets.

But Trump said he ultimately decided to hold off on his threat of new attacks after requests from Gulf countries.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman called Trump on Saturday to express concerns about his strike plans, Axios reported, citing unnamed US officials.

One source with knowledge of the call told Axios that the Saudi crown prince had "urged Trump to de-escalate and refrain from launching the strikes".

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the report.

Iran and the US resumed exchanges of fire last month after a days-long lull in fighting, although there were no reported strikes overnight Friday to Saturday.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News earlier in the week that the US had "wiped out" much of Iran's defenses, adding that Tehran was "now willing and in some cases seem eager to do a deal on denuclearization, to do a deal on the straits."

Still, he said Iran could "still do damage."

On Wednesday, a drone struck a US-owned gas vessel moored in an Egyptian port, causing a fire. Egypt is investigating but has not yet accused any group of launching the attack.

Meanwhile, an "unknown projectile" struck a tanker off the coast of Oman, a British maritime agency said on Saturday.

Iran has effectively maintained control over navigation through Hormuz since the outbreak of the war on February 28, requiring vessels to obtain permission and pay transit fees before using the waterway.

Maritime trade tracking firm Kpler said on Friday that traffic through the Hormuz strait has dropped "sharply".

On the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another waterway that has gained increasing importance as a transit route for Saudi Arabian oil, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on Saturday denied seeking to charge ships for passage through it.

The narrow waterway connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean and, via the Suez Canal, the Mediterranean.

A.Weber--NZN