▲ This photo, released by EPA, shows U.S. President Donald Trump speaking during an event promoting maternal healthcare in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on May 11, 2026. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

(LEAD) Trump-Iran-negotiation

(LEAD) Trump holds off on planned Iran attack after requests from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar

(ATTN: CHANGES headline, lead; UPDATES throughout)

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, May 18 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he has instructed the U.S. military not to launch an attack on Iran, planned for Tuesday, following requests from the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar.

Trump made the remarks in a social media post, warning that the U.S. could go ahead with a "full, large-scale" attack on Iran if a deal -- acceptable to the United States and countries in the Middle East -- is not reached.

"Based on my respect for the above mentioned Leaders, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, The Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Daniel Caine, and The United States Military, that we will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow," he wrote on Truth Social.

"But (I) have further instructed them to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment's notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached," he added.

Trump said that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan asked him to hold off on the planned attack as "serious" negotiations are in progress, and that in their view, a deal -- acceptable to the U.S. and countries in the Middle East and beyond -- will be made.

His remarks came after he told the New York Post that he is not open to any concessions for Iran following Tehran's submission of its latest peace proposal to end the war with the United States.

Earlier, Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported that the Islamic Republic delivered to Pakistani mediators a revised 14-point proposal that focuses on negotiations to end hostilities and "trust-building" measures.

"I can tell you they want to make a deal more than ever, because they know we're ... what's going to be happening soon," Trump told the Post.

In a social media post on Sunday, Trump ratcheted up pressure on Iran to reach a peace deal, saying that "for Iran, the clock is ticking, and they better get moving fast, or there won't be anything left of them."

In the interview with the Post, Trump said he was not "frustrated" with Tehran, but made clear that Iran is fully aware that the U.S. can inflict more pain.

When asked about his remark on Friday that he would be willing to accept a 20-year moratorium on Iran's uranium enrichment, Trump said, "I'm not open to anything right now."

Meanwhile, Axios reported, citing a senior U.S. official and a source, that the White House believes Iran's latest proposal is insufficient, and not a meaningful improvement.

(END)

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]