Iran-US war live: Trump cancels attack on Tehran and claims peace deal breakthrough

Iran-US war live: Trump cancels attack on Tehran and claims peace deal breakthrough Iran’s military accused the US of ‘moving down the path of escalating tensions’ - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments US president Donald Trump says he will hold off on a threatened fresh round of strikes against Iran after “the perimeters of a deal [have] been agreed to” by Tehran and America’s Middle East allies. Trump said he had cancelled the strikes “subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL”, and that Israel had agreed to support the move. Earlier, Trump told a cabinet meeting that new strikes would take place as soon as this weekend, telling a cabinet meeting on Friday: “We will be hitting them very hard. At some point, they’re going to say, ‘We just can’t take it anymore.’” Tehran had warned him against any further “aggression”, with Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi saying on Saturday that any such “adventurous action” by the US or Israel would be met with a “decisive and proportional response”. Both countries have resumed direct strikes after a brief truce collapsed last month, with negotiations to secure a ceasefire failing to make significant progress. In other Middle East news, Mr Trump said Israel was "very happy" with the agreement reached by the Board of Peace for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups in Gaza. Iran warned of 'decisive' response in calls with Middle East partners Before Donald Trump announced a last-minute pause in strikes on Iran, Tehran warned of a “decisive and proportionate response” to Washington. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said in a phone call with his Saudi counterpart that any "aggression" by the US and Israel or participation of regional countries in these actions will be met with a strong response, according to Araghchi’s Telegram account. He held separate calls with Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan as well as Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir, according to posts on the Iranian foreign minister’s Telegram channel. He warned that Iran would respond in kind to any “adventurous action” by the United States. Three Palestinians killed in Gaza, report says Three Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli attack on Gaza, Al Jazeera Arabic reported. The latest casualties were reported after an Israeli strike on the town of al-Qarara, north of Khan Younis, citing sources at the Nasser Medical Complex. The latest deaths bring the total number of people killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza this morning to eight. Earlier, two people were killed in central Deir al-Balah, while three others were killed and several more wounded in a strike on an apartment in northern Gaza City. Saudi diplomacy may have influenced Trump's decision to hold off on Iran strikes, ex-US colonel says Retired US Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton told CNN that Saudi Arabia and Iran both have strong reasons to avoid further escalation in the region, with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz impacting much of their energy flows and exports. “They’re economically at risk here,” he said. “This is an area where the United States really is dependent, to a large degree on Saudi diplomacy, and that, I think, had a big impact on President Trump’s decision to forgo attacking Iran, at least for the near term,” he added. He added that while Iran is also under growing economic and military pressure after months of conflict, any push for de-escalation could give Tehran time to regroup and ease the strain. Trump’s decision to call off strikes on Iran came after it was that report that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto leader, spoke with Trump by phone and raised concerns about the US potentially escalating the conflict with Iran. Iran implementing Supreme Leader's orders on Strait of Hormuz, lawmaker says Iran's armed forces are carrying out Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei's directives on managing the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters, the spokesperson for parliament's national security committee said on Sunday. Hassan Ghashghavi said Tehran opposes a proposed southern Omani shipping corridor through the strait, arguing it could be used to transport fuel for US and Israeli military aircraft as well as military equipment and weapons to US bases in the region. He said Iran would have no ability to monitor or control vessels using the route, making the proposal incompatible with the country's national security. Israel agrees to join US push for Iran deal to end war, Trump says Israel has agreed to join the US in efforts to finalise an agreement with Iran that would bring an end to the war, Donald Trump said. Iran did not immediately comment on the announcement. “The Country of Israel joins me in this commitment. Get to work, everybody, and get it DONE. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he said. Trump has ordered American forces to hold off on new strikes against Iran. His remarks marked a sharp shift from a day earlier, when he suggested the US was close to resuming heavy military strikes to force Tehran back to the negotiating table. In a post on X Friday, Israeli far-right lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir called the deal "unacceptable" and said the killings in Gaza must continue. "Israel must win," he said. The US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on 28 February, with Trump saying the campaign aimed to destroy Tehran's missile capabilities, prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon and curb its support for allied armed groups. Saudi crown prince calls Trump to raise concerns about Iran conflict Earlier, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto leader, spoke with Trump by phone and raised concerns about the US potentially escalating the conflict with Iran, according to a person familiar with the leaders’ discussion. The call happened before Trump's social media announcement that he was cancelling a major strike. The Saudis, according to the person briefed on the substance of the call but not authorised to comment publicly, are concerned that Tehran could respond with attacks on the energy infrastructure of the kingdom and other Gulf countries. The crown prince sought clarity from Trump on what potential new action he was weighing to take against Iran, the person told the Associated Press. A White House official, who was not authorised to comment publicly and requested anonymity, confirmed the leaders spoke Saturday but did not offer any detail. Trump's post cancelling strikes on Iran in full Here’s the full text of what Trump posted on Truth Social: “The U.S.A. is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II. Despite this, we have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to. This would include the Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat. 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. The Country of Israel joins me in this commitment. Get to work, everybody, and get it DONE. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP” Trump cancels attack on Iran and claims peace deal breakthrough President Donald Trump claims that his Middle East allies have reached the parameters of a deal to end the Iran war and said that he would hold off on ordering new strikes in the five-month old conflict for now. Trump added that the emerging deal “would include the Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat.” “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 said. He said that Israel has agreed to join the US in the commitment to try to complete the agreement with Iran that would bring about an end to the war. Iran did not offer any immediate public reaction to Trump's announcement. Israeli strikes in Gaza kill at least four and wound dozens more Intense Israeli strikes Friday night and Saturday killed at least four people in central and northern Gaza and wounded dozens more, according to local health officials. The strikes came after Hamas confirmed Friday that it will disarm in a potential breakthrough for ending the war in Gaza, though major obstacles remain. Israel has not officially commented on the Hamas deal, which is part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire announced last October. That agreement called for Hamas to disarm and hand over power to an independent Palestinian administration. Israel was to withdraw and an International Stabilization Force was to be deployed. In a post on X Friday, Israeli far-right lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir called the deal "unacceptable" and said the killings in Gaza must continue. "Israel must win," he said. Netanyahu confronted JD Vance over his criticism of Israel on US trip, says report Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu confronted US Vice President JD Vance over his criticism of Israel during a recent trip to America, according to a new report. Netanyahu made his seventh state visit to the US this week to attend the funeral of his close friend Lindsey Graham and had meetings with US President Donald Trump, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vance. The vice president has been the most vocal critic of Israel in the Trump administration and recently accused the country of “trying to kill your way out of solving every single national security problem”. In a one-to-one meeting at Blair House in Washington on Tuesday, Netanyahu addressed his criticism in a “frank and candid conversation”, an Israeli official told Axios. A US official confirmed the nature of the discussion saying: “The conversation was direct”. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments