President Donald Trump said on Monday he was set to approve renewed strikes against Iran on Tuesday but held off at the request of Gulf leaders and ongoing negotiations.
In a social media publication, Trump said the request was made by the "Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
They told Trump that "serious negotiations are now taking place, and that, in their opinion, as Great Leaders and Allies, a Deal will be made, 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! Based on my respect for the above mentioned Leaders, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, The Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Daniel Caine, and The United States Military, that we will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow, but have further instructed them 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," Trump added.
The remarks follow a report where a senior U.S. official told Axios that Iran's response to the U.S.'s proposal to end the war was likely insufficient for a deal, hinting at a potential renewal of hostilities.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei had said earlier on Monday that the country gave its response to Pakistan, but clarified the country will not cede on uranium enrichment rights.
"What can be said with certainty is, first of all, that rights are not something we are to negotiate or compromise over," the official said. "There is no need for another party to recognize this right for Iran. This right already exists," he added.
The U.S. official claimed that the response only had token improvements. It has more on the country's commitment not to pursue a nuclear weapon, but no detail measures about suspending uranium enrichment or handing over its existent stockpile.
"We are really not making a lot of progress. We are at a very serious place today. The pressure is on them to be responsive in the right way," the official told the outlet.
"It's time for the Iranians to throw bit of candy out. We need some real, sturdy, and granular conversation" about the nuclear program, the official added. "If that's not gonna happen, we will have a conversation through bombs, which will be a shame."
