Trump Halts Iran Strikes, Gulf Allies Push for Deal

President Donald Trump said Sunday he had called off new strikes against Iran after Gulf allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates asked for a diplomatic deal instead of further military action.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said Saudi Arabia's king and crown prince told him they preferred a negotiated settlement. "They said, we would much prefer a deal," Trump said. "Because you don't know where these attacks lead. They will be flooded with people pouring into their country, and it will be a disaster."

The decision marked a sharp reversal from a day earlier, when Trump warned the U.S. military would "be hitting them very hard." On Sunday, he said negotiations with Iran would begin Monday afternoon, focusing on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and addressing Iran's nuclear program.

Tehran denied Trump's claim that it had asked the U.S. not to strike, saying its armed forces were prepared for any military action. The back-and-forth leaves the five-month-old war in a fragile state. Months of on-and-off diplomacy had produced an interim deal, but tit-for-tat strikes resumed last month after a period of relative calm.