US pauses planned Iran attack as negotiations begin

A US attack on Iran has been put on hold while negotiations are due to begin on Monday, offering another opening for diplomacy.

The war has spread attacks across the Gulf and disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, which carried about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas before the fighting. Its closure has pushed up energy prices and widened the consequences far beyond the region.

Donald Trump said Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had requested time to complete a deal. Iran’s foreign minister has meanwhile spoken with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, while Tehran and Oman are discussing navigation through the strait. These parallel diplomatic channels are intended to reduce escalation and find practical arrangements for shipping and nuclear concerns.

The clearest progress is immediate but limited: a planned strike was cancelled and talks were scheduled. No agreement has been reached, the participants and venue remain unclear, and previous pauses have unravelled.

Monday’s negotiations are therefore the next test of whether temporary restraint can become a durable settlement and reopen the strait safely.