US, Israel Halt Planned Iran Attack as Draft Framework Reached: Trump

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States and Israel had agreed to suspend their planned attacks on Iran at the request of Iran and other Middle Eastern countries, claiming the two allies had reached a draft framework for an agreement aimed at ending the war.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said the possible agreement would include the Strait of Hormuz being “opened immediately and completely”. He said the strategic energy shipping route had remained closed most of the time since the war began on 28 February because of Iran.

Trump wrote that the United States had been fully prepared to demonstrate military force against the Islamic Republic of Iran on a scale unprecedented since World War II. He added that, despite that preparedness, “at the request of Iran and other countries in the Middle East, we have suspended all forms of attack” because all sides had agreed on the basics of a deal.

Trump said those basic terms included the immediate and full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and “ending Iran’s nuclear threat”.

Trump further wrote, “For the good of the world and to preserve the existence of a successful and prosperous Iran, I agreed to this request to cancel the attack, but only on the condition that a final agreement is reached quickly.” Trump said Israel had also agreed to join the process.

Trump also said Israel was participating again with the United States in implementing the agreement after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint attack with US forces in February, a move he said would help end the war. He concluded the post by saying, “Everyone get to work and finish the job quickly.”

Earlier on Friday, Trump had threatened to strike Iran with “extreme force”. At a cabinet meeting at the presidential retreat Camp David in Maryland, he said, “We will hit them very hard. At some point they will be forced to say, ‘We can’t take this anymore.’”

US media reports at the time said Trump was planning a new heavy assault on Iran over the weekend. The Wall Street Journal later reported that Trump had ordered a new attack intended to defeat Iran, which could begin on Saturday or Sunday.

CBS News also reported that the United States and Israel had been planning joint strikes targeting multiple energy sector sites in Iran. Citing several unnamed sources, CBS said Trump had not yet given final approval for the operation, though Israel and the United States were maintaining coordination.

If carried out, it would have marked the first time since the initial phase of the war that Israel would directly join a joint attack on Iran.

Last month, Washington intensified attacks on Iran again after accusing Tehran of attacking commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. In response, Tehran launched retaliatory strikes on US military bases in Gulf countries.

An earlier preliminary ceasefire understanding signed in June between the two countries failed. That agreement had called for an immediate halt to military operations in all locations, including Lebanon, and required a final agreement to be signed within 60 days.

Trump announced on 8 July that the agreement had been cancelled. Tehran later suspended the memorandum of understanding, accusing Washington of “breaking its promise”.