US President Donald Trump has announced that he has postpone a planned strike against Iran at the request of Middle Eastern leaders.
The President also said that “serious negotiations are now taking place”.
Posting on his 'Truth Social' account, Trump said that a very acceptable agreement will be reached for the United States, as well as all countries in the Middle East and beyond.
Intervention of state leaders
It is still unclear how much progress has been made in the stalled talks to end the ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran.
However, Trump has praised the intervention of leaders including Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, saying that they changed his mind.
"I have instructed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Daniel Cain, and the United States military not to carry out the planned strike on Iran tomorrow," Trump posted on Monday (May 18).
Peace talks
Pakistan has been acting as a mediator since the United States, along with Israel, launched a war against Iran on February 28.
A ceasefire agreement was reached between Iran and the United States on April 8, following a series of threats by Trump that an entire civilization would be destroyed if Iran's regime was not changed.
But the ceasefire remains fragile, as both sides continue to accuse each other of violating the agreement.
If negotiations fail
Trump also emphasized that he had instructed military leaders to be prepared to launch a large-scale attack against Iran on very short notice if an acceptable agreement could not be reached, even if the attacks were postponed.
Trump's latest comment comes after he has expressed strong hostility towards Iran over the past few days.
The day before, he had written that time was running out for Iranian officials to reach an agreement, and that if a decision was not made soon, they would be left with nothing.
The beginning of the conflict
Trump continues to argue that the war was necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
"The most important thing this agreement includes is that Iran will not be able to possess any nuclear weapons," he added in a statement on Monday (May 18).
However, Iran continues to insist that it is not seeking to develop such a weapon.
In a statement on Monday (18), the US President reiterated the same point, calling the possession of nuclear weapons a red line.
Statement by the Iranian President
Early on Monday (18), Iranian President Masoud Peskov said on social media that his government would defend the country's interests under any circumstances.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran approaches negotiations with dignity, authority, and defending the rights of the nation. Coming to the path of negotiations does not mean surrender," Peseshkan said.
"We will never waver from the legal rights of the country and the people," he said at length.
Political obstacle
The ongoing war with Iran has become a major political obstacle for Trump, as the Republican Party faces stiff competition in the US midterm elections scheduled for November.
According to a New York Times poll released Monday morning, 64% of American adults believe that going to war with Iran would be the wrong decision.
Pentagon officials have indicated that the war has cost the US government at least $29 billion so far, and some experts estimate that the true cost could be much higher.
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