US Pauses Planned Strikes on Iran Amid Deal Talks

US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday, Aug. 2, that Washington will suspend planned military strikes against Iran, citing a request from Tehran and neighboring countries to negotiate a comprehensive agreement. In a statement on Truth Social, Trump said the US military was “locked and loaded” but had agreed to “hold off any attack” provided a deal can be reached rapidly. He stated the agreement must include the “immediate, complete, and total opening of the Hormuz Strait” and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Trump added that Israel has joined the US in this commitment to pause military action while negotiations proceed. The announcement represents a pivot from escalating tensions over the weekend. Earlier, according to CNN, the US State Department had advised American citizens in the Middle East to consider departing the region, warning of potential airspace closures and flight cancellations amid expectations of imminent US strikes. Prior to Trump’s announcement, reports indicated Washington was preparing significant strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure as early as this weekend. According to The Wall Street Journal, Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), had prepared a contingency plan for a massive air campaign spanning 10 to 14 days following a July 28 Iranian missile attack. The proposed campaign awaited presidential approval following an Iranian missile attack on July 28. President Trump, speaking at Camp David on Friday, stated that the US would hit Iran “very hard.” Other Topics of Interest Trump Casts Doubt on Ukraine Patriot Production License Trump said Washington has not approved licensed Patriot interceptor production in Ukraine, citing concerns over sharing advanced US weapons technology. In response, Tehran has threatened widespread retaliation. According to Reuters, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi informed his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan that any US or Israeli strikes, or the facilitation of such strikes by regional states, would be met with a “proportional response.” Furthermore, Nournews, a media outlet affiliated with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, stated that if the US targets Iranian energy infrastructure, Tehran will launch strikes against oil and gas fields in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Israel. Regional spillover The diplomatic warnings coincided with an expansion of the conflict beyond the immediate combat zones. On July 30, a drone struck the US-owned tanker Energos Winter in Egypt’s Damietta gas port, igniting a fire that spread to a second vessel. While no group claimed responsibility for the Damietta attack, it followed US strikes on Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) facilities on July 29. The IRGC subsequently claimed a retaliatory strike on the US Azraq air base in Jordan. Concurrently, Kuwait’s Defense Ministry reported that an Iranian attack damaged a Chinese company’s facility in northern Kuwait, resulting in one fatality. The ongoing conflict, which began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February28, has seen over five months of reciprocal attacks. CBS News reported that the US and Israel are coordinating potential joint strikes on Iranian oil refineries and power plants, which would mark Israel’s first direct participation in attacks on Iran since the war’s initial phase. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.