WASHINGTON, D.C., May 19 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Monday said he has “put off” a planned attack on Iran for a short period amid what he described as “big discussions” with Tehran over the ongoing West Asia crisis.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and several other countries had requested that the US delay military action for a few days, believing negotiations were close to producing a deal.
“I put it (attack on Iran) off for a little while, hopefully maybe forever, but possibly for a little while because we’ve had very big discussions with Iran and we’ll see what they amount to. I was asked by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE and some others if we could put it off for two or three days, a short period of time, because they think that they are getting very close to making a deal,” Trump said.
“It’s a very positive development, but we’ll see whether or not it amounts to anything,” he added.
Reflecting on his recent China visit and conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said, “President Xi was very complimentary of our military. We have the greatest military in the world. We’re not going to let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump further stated that multiple countries were directly engaging with US officials and Iran in an effort to resolve the situation diplomatically.
“I was called by these three countries, plus others, and they’re dealing directly with our people and right now, Iran. There seems to be a very good chance that they can work something out. If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I will be very happy,” he said.
Meanwhile, the United States Central Command on Monday said it continues to strictly enforce the US blockade against Iranian ports.
“CENTCOM continues to strictly enforce the U.S. blockade against Iranian ports. U.S. forces have now redirected 85 commercial vessels to ensure full compliance,” CENTCOM said in a post on X.
Earlier, Trump reportedly turned down Iran’s peace proposal aimed at ending the ongoing West Asia crisis, saying it fell short of expectations and did not represent meaningful progress toward a deal, according to Axios, citing a senior US official and a source familiar with the matter.
The development comes at a sensitive moment, with Washington weighing both diplomatic and military options as tensions over Iran’s nuclear program continue to escalate. US officials said Trump is still seeking a negotiated settlement but has grown increasingly frustrated by Tehran’s refusal to accept what Washington considers essential concessions.
Iran’s latest counterproposal was reportedly delivered Sunday night through Pakistani mediators. According to a senior US official quoted by Axios, the revised proposal contains only limited changes compared with previous submissions. (ANI)
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