President Trump said Monday he had called off a military strike on Iran scheduled for Tuesday at the request of Gulf leaders, citing "serious negotiations" now under way to end the war. In a Truth Social post he said the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had asked him to hold off, and that he had been told a deal "very acceptable" to the US would be reached, the BBC reported. He warned the US remained ready for a "full, large scale assault" on a moment's notice if no acceptable deal materialised.
What prompted the pause? Iran made a new proposal for a deal to definitively end the war, officials in the region said Monday, with regional officials describing concessions including a long-term suspension of its nuclear programme and transfer of highly enriched uranium to Russia, the Guardian reported. Iran's foreign military spokesperson said Pakistan had relayed Tehran's latest proposal to Washington, and the semi-official Tasnim agency reported the US had agreed to waive oil-export sanctions during the negotiation period, claims the Guardian said had no independent confirmation.
Where do things stand militarily? A ceasefire has paused most fighting after six weeks of US-Israeli airstrikes and Iranian retaliation that began on 28 February, though drones have continued to be launched toward Gulf states hosting US bases. One strike caused a fire at a UAE nuclear plant, officials there said, and Saudi Arabia reported intercepting three drones, the Guardian reported.
The announcement came amid a drop in 
Trump's approval rating, the BBC reported, with a New York Times/Siena poll finding 64% of voters thought going to war with Iran was the wrong decision and just 37% approving of his job performance. Speaking later at the White House, Trump called it "a very positive development, but we'll see whether or not it amounts to anything."
Figures referenced: Donald Trump. — JudgeMarket.
