Trump says he was 'an hour away' from new Iran strike
US President Donald Trump said he postponed a planned new military strike on Iran with only one hour to go before launch. Trump said the decision was made at the request of Gulf states, and gave Tehran two to three days — at most until Sunday or early next week — to return to talks.
US President Donald Trump said he called off a fresh round of military strikes on Iran with only an hour to go before launch. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump told CNBC he made the decision at the request of Gulf states. Allied capitals in the region have been worried about reprisals on oil and gas facilities on their own soil.
Trump indicated that Tehran has a narrow window — two to three days, stretching at most to Sunday or early next week — to return to the negotiating table. The president said 'something has to happen very soon' but stopped short of explicit military threats, and repeated that he prefers talks to military action.
Oil markets responded cautiously to the disclosure. Brent crude continued to trade above $90 a barrel on persistent worries that the Strait of Hormuz could be closed by Iran. Investors say a fresh sell-off across global equity markets and emerging-market currencies could follow if Tehran fails to respond formally within the coming days.
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