Trump says US-Iran talks to start Monday after shelving strike

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that direct talks with Iran will begin Monday afternoon, revealing that he cancelled a "massive attack" planned for Friday after urgent requests from regional allies and Tehran itself. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Trump said Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Iran had all urged Washington to hold back military action. "We were asked by the three primary groups. We were also asked by Iran very strongly," he said, adding: "They said we'd like to make a deal."

Trump noted that Riyadh shared the assessment that diplomacy could succeed, stating: "They didn't want us to do it, and frankly, Saudi Arabia didn't want it either. They thought that a deal is imminent ... having to do with the Hormuz Strait and also ultimately denuclearization." He said the planned operation would have been "disastrous" for Iran and claimed it would have taken the country "many, many years" to rebuild.

Military option remains available

Asked whether the operation would have targeted Iran's energy infrastructure, Trump declined to elaborate. "We're ready to go anytime we want. Would I rather make a deal? I'm not looking to kill people because people die, a lot of people die, and we don't want that," he told reporters. He emphasized that Washington maintains the capacity to launch strikes if diplomatic efforts fail.

Asked whether Tehran faces a deadline to reach agreement, Trump replied: "We'll just see," indicating that no fixed timeline has been established for the negotiations. The president spoke aboard Air Force One following conversations with leaders from the Gulf states and Iranian officials that prompted the reversal of Friday's planned military action.