Symbolic imageTrump calls off Iran strike wave, citing outlines of a deal
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he had cancelled a planned major attack on Iran, saying Tehran and other Middle Eastern states had agreed the "outlines of a deal". He named two conditions: the complete opening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to Iran's nuclear threat.
What happened
- CBS News reported on Friday, 31 July, that the US and Israel were preparing strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure, possible over the weekend.
- At Camp David the same day Trump said "We'll be hitting them very hard"; CBS and Axios reported no final execution order had been issued.
- The war entered its 155th day on Saturday, 1 August, according to The American Conservative.
- UKMTO reported an explosion near a tanker off Oman on Saturday morning; Kuwait's army said it intercepted Iranian drones.
- Brent crude closed Friday just under $88 a barrel; AAA put the US average gasoline price at $4.10 a gallon.
The view from outside
FAZ reports that Iran's and Saudi Arabia's foreign ministers spoke as the strike plan circulated, a channel largely absent from US coverage; Bloomberg, citing Axios, reports Saudi concern about the plan itself.
What could happen next
- No text of the agreement has been published; Trump made the halt conditional on reaching a deal quickly.
- Whether Israel was ever committed is disputed: an Israeli official told CBS it knew of no decision to restart operations.
- The strait's reopening remains unverified; the New York Times reported it closed as of Saturday.
- In Congress, lawmakers from both parties press for withdrawal, including a bill to defund the campaign, Tehran Times reports.
United States: Trump says the military is ready but he cancelled the attack to allow a rapid deal; the White House accuses Tehran of breaking last month's memorandum.
Iran: Tehran warns it will respond decisively to any new aggression and threatens to close Hormuz and other trade chokepoints more tightly if the war continues.
Also involved