AUGUST 2, 2026
Trump orders halt to Iran strikes, citing agreed parameters for a diplomatic deal
President Trump announced late Saturday via social media that he would order U.S. forces to hold off on new strikes against Iran, saying the parameters of a deal had been agreed to. The proposed framework would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending Iran's nuclear threat. No final deal has been reached; mediation efforts are described as ongoing.
President Trump posted on Truth Social Saturday evening that the U.S. was "locked and loaded and ready to go" against Iran but had agreed to "cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL." He said Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had asked the U.S. to hold off, and that Israel was party to the commitment.
According to the AP, the emerging proposal calls for the U.S. and Iran to return to negotiations, with terms that would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz, halting attacks by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq on Arab Gulf countries and Jordan, and lifting the U.S. naval blockade on Iran in exchange for allowing Tehran to resume oil exports. A regional official involved in mediation efforts described the terms on condition of anonymity.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke with Trump by phone on Saturday before the social media announcement, according to the Saudi state news agency and a person briefed on the call. The AP reported that Saudi Arabia's concerns centered on the risk of Iranian retaliation against Gulf energy infrastructure. The crown prince, per the Saudi statement carried by NPR, emphasized the importance of dialogue and preventing the region from being drawn into a wider conflict.