Trump says Iran attack was halted after Gulf appeals, hopes delay lasts ‘forever’

Moscow, May 19 (Sputnik/UNI) US President Donald Trump expressed hope that the brief pause he announced in resuming attacks on Iran will ultimately become permanent.
On Monday, Trump said that he had called off a military attack on Iran scheduled for Tuesday following a request from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Trump noted the request was made due to the ongoing “serious negotiations,” which Middle East leaders believe could result in a deal acceptable to the United States.
“I put it off for a little while, hopefully maybe forever, but possibly for a little while, because we’ve had very big discussions with Iran,” Trump told reporters on Monday.
Trump also claimed a deal with Iran is close. According to him, Middle Eastern countries, which have asked him to postpone attacks on Iran, also believe the deal is imminent.
“I was asked by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, and some others if we could put it off for two or three days, a short period of time, because they think that they are getting very close to making a deal,” Trump said.
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes on targets in Iran, causing damage and civilian casualties. On April 7, Washington and Tehran announced a two-week ceasefire. Subsequent talks in Islamabad ended inconclusively, and Trump extended the cessation of hostilities to give Iran time to come up with a “unified proposal.”