Trump says planned talks are Iran's 'last chance'
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has announced that planned talks with Iran are the "last chance" to avoid further escalation of military action. The talks, he said, will focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and addressing concerns over Iran's nuclear program. "The first phase is the opening of the straits. The second phase will be denuclearization," he said, adding that this process may take some time.
Diplomatic efforts
Gulf allies urged Trump to halt attack
Trump had initially planned a major strike against Iran, which he called "the biggest attack since World War II."
However, he said he postponed the action at the request of Gulf allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as at the request of unnamed Iranian officials.
He said he decided to give diplomacy more time after hearing from key Gulf leaders and unnamed Iranian officials.
Rising tensions
Trump's frustration over Iran's claims of talks
While he has postponed the strike, Trump has expressed frustration.
He accused Iran of being "unbelievably duplicitous" and said they were not discussing nuclear weapons but only safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
"They ask for a meeting, some would say 'beg,' talks begin... and they say, openly and proudly, that they're not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they're only dealing with Oman," he said.
Criticism voiced
Trump's approach criticized as erratic
Trump's approach to the Iran conflict has been criticized as erratic by some.
Senator Mark Kelly called it "rather erratic" and suggested Trump was trying to return to an earlier stage of the conflict.
"At this point, he's trying to get us back to February," he said.
There have been several instances where Trump threatened escalation but backed off, crediting progress in peace negotiations with high-level Iranian leaders.
Key influence
Saudi Crown Prince warned escalation could hurt global economy
In the latest episode, Trump suggested that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman played a crucial role in persuading him to halt strikes.
The crown prince warned that escalation could hurt the global economy if Iran retaliated against Gulf allies.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates have assured they can defend themselves against Iranian strikes, but Kuwait may be vulnerable to attacks by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.