US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he had abandoned a military strike on Iran originally scheduled for Tuesday. The decision follows a request from Gulf leaders and comes as serious negotiations are underway with Tehran.
Donald Trump told reporters that he had very good chances of reaching an agreement with Iran. He added that he would be very happy if this could be achieved without indiscriminately dropping bombs. The president nevertheless stated that the United States remained ready to launch a total and large-scale attack if no acceptable deal was reached.
The sought-after agreement must ensure that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons. The previous day, Trump had threatened Tehran with annihilation should talks fail. He said time was running out for Iran.
At the same time, Iran officially announced the creation of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, a new body tasked with managing transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices continued to rise, with the Brent barrel reaching 112.10 dollars.
