Key development: Trump just cancelled planned strikes on Iran, saying they’ve agreed on the “perimeters of a deal” — a sudden shift from threatening to hit them “very hard” just yesterday.
Diplomacy
(Update) Trump cancelled strikes on Iran and says the US and Israel have a deal framework. This is a sharp reversal from Friday when he threatened to hit Iran “very hard” and said he was “losing faith” in diplomacy. (Al Jazeera, France 24, Euronews)
Context: Trump announced Saturday that the US and Israel agreed to hold off on new strikes, provided a deal to end the conflict is “rapidly” reached. He says the “perimeters of a deal” are agreed to. Iran’s acting defense minister responded that the country would “neither be caught off guard nor remain passive” in the face of US threats. This marks a concrete pivot from active military operations to explicit diplomatic negotiations.
Sources: Al Jazeera | France 24 | Euronews
(Update) Trump is now pushing Netanyahu to accept a Hamas deal after Hamas agreed to disarm. Netanyahu hasn’t publicly endorsed it yet. Israeli sources say troops won’t withdraw without real disarmament, while Hamas insists Israel must leave first — a sequencing problem that remains unresolved. (France 24)
Context: Trump announced Thursday that Hamas agreed to disarm, calling it a potential breakthrough for Gaza. But there’s a sequencing problem: Israel won’t pull back forces without genuine disarmament, while Hamas insists Israel must withdraw before it lays down weapons. Trump is directly pressuring Netanyahu to sign on, marking his active intervention in the standoff.
Sources: France 24
US Policy
(Update) US embassies across the Middle East told Americans to “consider departing” the region. Five capitals got the warning as tensions with Iran spike. (France 24)
Context: US embassies in Amman, Jerusalem, Muscat, Baghdad, and Beirut issued security alerts Saturday urging citizens to leave or be prepared to leave quickly. This is a formal escalation in the official US government response to the conflict, signaling Washington sees serious risk of wider violence despite the diplomatic pause.
Sources: France 24
What to watch: Whether Netanyahu actually accepts Trump’s Gaza deal and if Iran follows through on any commitments — or if this pause collapses like past ceasefires.