U.S. President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he had decided against ordering American forces to carry out new strikes on Iran, following appeals from Gulf allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Trump revealed that a plan had been prepared for U.S. forces to execute what he described as "the biggest attack since World War II" on Sunday. However, he chose to abandon the plan and allow diplomacy additional time after consulting with key Gulf leaders — including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — and at the request of unidentified Iranian officials.

"I said to the crown prince, 'What would you rather do? Would you rather us do this or not?'" Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while returning to Washington from his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. "They said we would much prefer a deal as opposed to an attack, because you don't know where these attacks lead."

The conversation between Trump and the crown prince took place on Saturday, ahead of the president's social media announcement that Middle East allies had reached the "perimeters" of a deal to end the five-month-old war.

The reversal marked yet another shift for Trump, who just one day earlier had said he was "losing faith" in negotiations with Iran and warned that the U.S. military "will be hitting them very hard." The whipsaw between threats of force and diplomatic openings has been a recurring pattern throughout the conflict, with each cycle of escalation followed by a pause that mediators have struggled to make permanent.

On Sunday, Trump reiterated that the emerging agreement would include a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz — the critical waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world's energy supplies flowed before the war began — and would address U.S. concerns regarding Iran's nuclear program, which has been a flashpoint between Tehran and Western powers for over two decades.

Iran has repeatedly struck vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz without its authorization as part of its conflict with the United States.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz "will in no way return to the status it was before February 28th" — the day the war commenced. Speaking on a call with Iranian state TV, he added that Iran is engaged in discussions with Oman, situated on the opposite side of Hormuz, regarding shipping through the strait, but that there are currently no talks about reopening the waterway. Oman has long served as a discreet intermediary between Iran and Western governments, maintaining ties with Tehran even when other Gulf states have broken off contact.

Trump has announced pauses to strikes on Iran on multiple occasions since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, only for arrangements to collapse and fighting to resume.

Iran's defense minister said on X that the country was "neither surprised nor passive" in response to Trump's announcement, adding that Iran remains vigilant against concrete threats from the United States.

While Iran's leadership appears united behind a war strategy projecting strength and endurance, a struggle for influence appears to be emerging within the theocracy's ranks between those who reject any negotiations with the U.S. and others who see military pressure as leverage at the bargaining table.

Trump said Sunday that he expected negotiations to resume "tomorrow afternoon" but did not specify who would participate.

A regional official involved in mediation efforts said the proposal Trump announced over the weekend calls for both the U.S. and Iran to return to the negotiating table and continue resolving the many issues that have obstructed prior progress. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media, said the proposal includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz and halting attacks across the region, including those by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq against Arab Gulf nations and Jordan.

In exchange, the United States would end its naval blockade of Iran and permit Tehran to export its oil, as outlined in the tentative ceasefire agreement, the official said. The blockade has severely curtailed Iran's ability to sell crude, the country's primary source of state revenue. No deal has been finalized yet, though mediation efforts remain active.

Trump also stated that Israel is joining his commitment to end the war by implementing the ceasefire deal reached in June. Israel did not publicly comment on the announcement.

Prince Mohammed, Saudi Arabia's de facto leader, raised concerns about potential U.S. escalation during his Saturday phone call with Trump. The call was described as "candid and constructive" by a person briefed on the conversation who was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity.

The crown prince conveyed that an escalation in hostilities could have severe consequences for the global economy if Tehran responded to a new American bombardment by targeting U.S. Gulf allies. This call occurred before Trump's social media announcement. The crown prince also sought clarity from Trump on what potential actions he was considering against Iran.

Saudi officials have emphasized to the Trump administration that the kingdom — along with fellow Persian Gulf energy powers the United Arab Emirates and Qatar — is reasonably positioned to defend against further potential Iranian attacks. However, they noted that Kuwait could face greater vulnerability to attacks from Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.

Trump indicated that his conversation with the Saudi crown prince was a significant factor in his decision to scrap the planned strikes.

"It would have been disastrous for them. And they didn't want us to do it," Trump said. "And frankly, Saudi Arabia didn't want it either. They thought that a deal is imminent."