Trump says US, Israel to hold off on Iran strikes

US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States and Israel will hold off on new strikes against Iran, provided a deal can be reached quickly. According to Trump, Iran and other Middle Eastern countries requested time to complete an agreement that would lead to the immediate and total reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to Iran's nuclear threat.

The Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway, was largely closed by Iran before the war, causing energy prices to rise and contributing to broader inflation, as per MyJoyOnline Ghana. The conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran has been ongoing for five months, with attacks spreading across the Gulf to the Red Sea and a Mediterranean facility in Egypt.

Some officials have described Trump's statements as a desperate attempt to blackmail Gulf state rulers and pressure them with threats, according to the Jerusalem Post. Trump stated that Israel joins him in this commitment, and that he agreed to cancel the attack subject to being able to rapidly make a deal.

Brief written by urgent.news from Al-Monitor, Middle East Eye, MyJoyOnline Ghana, Jerusalem Post, NPR — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.