Trump says he halted strikes, will start new talks with Iran this afternoon
President says regional partners requested a delay and that a deal with Iran may be possible.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he has called off planned large-scale strikes against Iran and that new negotiations with Tehran will begin this afternoon, without specifying the location or who will take part.
Trump made the announcement on his social platform Truth Social, saying that Iran and the United States' partners in the Middle East had asked for a postponement because they believed a deal might be possible.
He later added that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, together with partners from the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, had asked the United States not to carry out strikes during the weekend.
"Everything was ready. They asked for a postponement because they think a deal is possible. There is an agreement around the Strait of Hormuz, and there will be one for the nuclear program. I don't want to kill people," Trump said.
Tehran has not issued an official response to the president's statements so far.
Following Trump's message, oil prices fell in Asian trading: Brent crude slipped about 4.5 percent, while U.S. crude fell roughly 4.6 percent.
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