In a sudden announcement that shook global geopolitical dynamics on Monday, former US President Donald Trump revealed he had paused a pre-planned large-scale military attack on Iran, caving to requests from key Gulf Arab allies who are pushing for negotiated de-escalation after nearly six weeks of open conflict.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump confirmed that the strike, originally scheduled for Tuesday, had been put on hold at the urging of the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The Gulf bloc argued that serious diplomatic talks are now underway, and expressed confidence that a final deal could be reached that satisfies both Washington and regional powers, with a core goal of ensuring Iran never acquires nuclear weapons. “I stopped the attack plan at the request of our Gulf allies,” Trump stated, noting that Iran has threatened widespread reciprocal retaliation against Gulf states if the US and Israel resume full-scale offensive operations after the recent six-week ceasefire. Trump, who has previously framed the ongoing conflict as a growing political liability and extended the truce indefinitely, added that he has ordered the US military to remain on high alert, ready to launch a full-scale offensive at a moment’s notice if negotiations collapse.
Iran, which has repeatedly rejected Trump’s initial deal frameworks and maintained tight control over the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz – a chokepoint that carries a third of global seaborne oil – has driven international energy markets into volatility with its closure of the waterway. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed that indirect talks are progressing through Pakistan, which has served as a neutral mediator between the two nations. Baqaei made clear that Tehran has laid out non-negotiable demands for any final agreement: the full release of billions of dollars in Iranian assets frozen overseas, the permanent lifting of decades-old international sanctions, and war reparations for what Tehran calls the “illegal and baseless” US-led invasion that left Iran’s top leadership decapitated – Supreme Leader Khamenei was killed in the initial February 28 strikes, though the Iranian government has remained surprisingly resilient through months of conflict. Baqaei also emphasized that Iran is “fully prepared for any eventuality” if US forces renew attacks.
Divisions have emerged within Iran’s ruling establishment over the path forward. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, widely labeled a moderate in a political system now dominated by hardline Revolutionary Guards commanders who have consolidated power since the war began, pushed back against hardline critics of diplomatic outreach. “Dialogue does not mean surrender,” Pezeshkian wrote on X. “The Islamic Republic of Iran enters into dialogue with dignity, authority, and the preservation of the nation’s rights, and will under no circumstances retreat from the legal rights of the people and the country.”
Details of the competing negotiating proposals have begun to emerge in recent days. Over the weekend, Iran’s Fars news agency reported that Washington had tabled a five-point framework that includes a demand for Iran to shut down all but one of its nuclear facilities and transfer its entire stockpile of highly enriched uranium to US control. The report added that US negotiators have so far refused to release even 25 percent of Iran’s frozen assets or commit to any war reparations, a major sticking point for Tehran. Still, there was a small sign of progress on Monday: Iran’s Tasnim news agency, quoting an anonymous source close to the Iranian negotiating team, reported that Washington had made a key concession, agreeing to waive oil sanctions on Iran for the duration of the negotiation period.
On Iran’s end, Tehran proposed a broader peace framework last week that calls for an end to all hostilities across the Middle East, including Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Lebanon, and a full lifting of the US naval blockade that has been in place on Iranian ports since April 13. A core tenet of Iran’s proposal is its claim to full sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, which it has largely closed to commercial traffic since the war began.
Last week, Iran formalized its control over the waterway with the launch of a new governing body, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority. On Monday, the agency announced via X that it would begin publishing real-time updates on navigation and operations in the strait, and clarified that all commercial ships passing through the Strait’s Iranian territorial waters must coordinate their passage directly with the new authority – any unauthorized transit will be classified as an illegal incursion. Earlier this month, Iranian state broadcaster Press TV revealed that the authority would send navigation instructions to passing vessels via email, and the Revolutionary Guards added Monday that all undersea fiber optic cables passing through the strait will now be subject to Iranian permitting requirements.
Beyond diplomatic maneuvering, military tensions continue to escalate across the region. On Monday, the Revolutionary Guards announced it had carried out a cross-border strike against militant groups linked to the US and Israel in Iran’s Kurdistan province, near the Iraqi border. In a statement carried by Iran’s ISNA news agency, the Guards claimed the groups were based in northern Iraq and acting on behalf of Washington and what Iran calls the “Zionist regime,” and were attempting to smuggle a large shipment of US-made weapons and ammunition into Iranian territory.
Tensions rose further over the weekend after a drone strike sparked a large fire near a nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates’ Abu Dhabi emirate. The UAE defense ministry confirmed the drone entered the country from the west but declined to publicly name the party responsible. Still, senior UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash made clear in off-the-cuff remarks that the blame lies with Iran and its network of regional proxy militias, stoking fears that the conflict could spread beyond Iran’s borders and draw in other major regional powers.
Separately, in a show of regional solidarity with Iran’s allies, thousands of supporters of the Iran-backed Houthi movement gathered for a rally in Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Monday to express unity with Lebanon amid Israel’s ongoing military campaign there.