Donald Trump said he would hold off on new strikes against Iran for now after appeals from regional countries, while keeping a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. US and Gulf officials cast doubt on the chances of an imminent deal.
Trump said on Monday he planned to hold off on new military strikes against Iran for the time being, citing appeals from neighboring countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait. He said the US would keep its naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz in place.
Trump made the comments after meeting Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, who visited Tehran last week. Iran's proposal calls for the US to end its blockade of Iranian ports, lift some sanctions and halt bombing, with talks on Iran's nuclear programme and other sanctions to follow. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Iran's conditions unrealistic, and said a diplomatic breakthrough was not imminent.
Mutual attacks continued, including reported US strikes on Iran's Qeshm island and attacks on tankers in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz. An Iranian state television reporter said 11 tankers had been disabled over the past 10 days.
