Trump announces cancellation of planned Iran strikes, claims deal imminent; Iran denies request

President Trump announced on Truth Social late Saturday that he had ordered a halt to planned military strikes against Iran, claiming Iran and other Middle Eastern countries requested a delay because 'the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to' to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end Iran's nuclear threat. Trump later told reporters on Air Force One that input from Gulf allies Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE weighed heavily in his decision, and that the planned attack would have been 'the biggest attack since World War II.' Iranian semi-official news agency Mehr dismissed Trump's claims as 'a new lie,' while Iran's acting Defense Minister characterized the announcement as 'psychological operations.' The episode marked another turnabout in the 5-month-old conflict.

“The U.S. 'is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran' but based on the request from Tehran and others had agreed to 'cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL.'” Quote verified against source