Why Trump reversed threat to hit 'Iran very hard tonight'
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump backed off from his threat to hit Iran "very hard tonight" after leaders from Gulf and South Asian countries called him in a last-ditch effort to change his mind, Politico reported. The calls came from Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Pakistani defense chief Asim Munir. They assured him a preliminary agreement was in place for further negotiations, after which Trump changed his mind.
Diplomatic developments
Deal could be finalized this weekend: Trump
Soon after, Trump announced on Truth Social that a deal could be signed as early as this weekend. "We just made a great settlement of the war in Iran and we'll be subject to finalization of documents," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "We should get done over the next few days." However, Iranian state media reported that foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said while parts of the negotiating text are ready, Iran won't budge on its red lines.
Ongoing talks
Is Khamenei on board?
It also remains unclear if Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has approved any agreement. US officials say Khamenei was seriously injured in the early days of the conflict and is currently underground without access to technology. Diplomats are skeptical about whether Khamenei has agreed to anything, with one Arab diplomat saying, "I'll believe it when I see it."
Economic discussions
Deal expected to face opposition from Netanyahu
The US and Iran have been negotiating through Qatar and Pakistan, but Trump has grown frustrated with the process. The negotiations include giving Tehran access to restricted funds amounting to over $16 billion. However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress last week that sanctions relief would only come after Iran agreed to nuclear restrictions. Any deal is expected to face opposition from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had encouraged Trump to attack Iran earlier this year.