US President Donald Trump says he canceled declared attacks on Iran after regional countries sought a pause amid efforts to reach a possible agreement, and following warnings from Tehran that any new US or Israeli aggression would face strong retaliation.
On Saturday, Trump announced that he had agreed to cancel a planned attack on Iran, claiming that Tehran and other regional countries had requested a pause after “the perimeters of a deal” had been reached.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that the US was “locked and loaded” and prepared to launch a military assault against Iran, describing the potential aggression as involving levels of military power “not seen since World War II.”
The reported plans emerged amid continued tensions following Iran’s resistance to US pressure tactics and military aggression, with Iranian officials repeatedly warning that any new attack by Washington or Tel Aviv would trigger a strong response.
During a phone conversation on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan that Tehran remained prepared to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security.
“Any hostile action by the US or Israel, or participation or cooperation by regional countries in such actions, would be met with a decisive and proportionate response from Iran’s powerful armed forces,” Araghchi said.
He also held talks with Turkish and Pakistani officials over efforts to prevent further escalation, including discussions with Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, who has been involved in mediation efforts between Tehran and Washington.
Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee spokesperson Ebrahim Rezaei warned that Tehran’s response to any attack would not be limited to the Persian Gulf region.
“Our response to any potential enemy attack will not be limited to the Persian Gulf region,” Rezaei wrote in a post on X, adding that Iran would respond to “all enemy bases and to the origin of the attacks from anywhere.”
At the same time, Qatari mediators held separate talks with Araghchi, US envoy Steve Witkoff and Omani officials in an effort to reach an agreement on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
According to reports, the negotiations made progress, although it remains unclear whether they will be sufficient to end US aggression against Iran.
US embassies issue alerts after Trump’s threats
US embassies across West Asia issued security alerts after Trump claimed that Washington would be “hitting Iran hard,” amid concerns over Tehran’s retaliatory operations.
The warnings followed Trump’s remarks, although there were no clear indications that an immediate US strike against Iran was imminent.
The alerts advised US citizens and personnel in the region to remain cautious as tensions continued following Washington’s threats of further military aggression.
MBS warns Trump over aggression plans
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman expressed concern over Trump’s reported plans for major strikes against Iran’s energy infrastructure during a phone conversation on Saturday, according to a report by Axios.
The Saudi leader reportedly urged Trump to de-escalate and refrain from launching attacks after the US president said he was seriously considering targeting Iranian energy facilities.
“The Saudis expressed concern and asked for clarity about the plan of action,” one US official told Axios, while another said MBS encouraged Washington to avoid further escalation.
The concerns were also conveyed during meetings between Saudi officials and members of the Trump administration, including a meeting between US Vice President JD Vance and Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman.
Other regional countries, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Pakistan, have also asked Washington to halt further aggression against Iran.
The latest round of war against Iran began on February 28, when US and Israeli forces launched large-scale strikes on Iranian territory.
Iran responded with daily waves of missiles and drones targeting US and Israeli assets across the region, while closing the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran and the US later signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on June 17 in an effort to end the war across all fronts.
However, renewed US military aggression against Iran in recent weeks has prompted Tehran to resume missile and drone strikes against US assets in the region and close the Strait of Hormuz once again.
