President Trump said Monday that he’d planned to strike Iran “tomorrow” (i.e., today), but was persuaded to give peace a chance, or one more chance. He atttributed this decision to the request of Arab leaders in the region. “I have been asked by the Emir of Qatar, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and the President of the United Arab Emirates to hold off on our planned Military attack of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was scheduled for tomorrow,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He added that the Arab leaders told him that “serious negotiations are now taking place, and that, in their opinion, as Great Leaders and Allies, a Deal will be made, which will be very acceptable to the United States of America, as well as all Countries in the Middle East, and beyond.” Without explaining why the United States has been left out of these negotiations or how they are occurring, Barak Ravid of Axios has more here.
What’s it all about? According to Reuters, citing Iranian state media, Iran’s latest peace proposal to the United States involves ending hostilities on all fronts including Lebanon, the exit of U.S. forces from areas close to Iran, and reparations for destruction caused by the U.S.-Israeli war.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tehran also sought the lifting of sanctions, the release of frozen funds, and an end to the U.S. blockade, again according to Iranian state media. The terms as described in the Iranian reports appeared little changed from Iran’s previous offer, which President Trump rejected last week as “garbage.” Reuters does not credit the accuracy of Trump’s assessment of those terms, but I do.
