Trump pauses Iran strikes as deal prospects emerge, but tensions remain high

Donald Trump, US President, said he had cancelled planned military strikes against Iran on the condition that a deal is reached quickly, signalling another abrupt shift from threats of escalation to diplomacy.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Iran and several Middle Eastern countries had asked Washington to hold off on military action because the broad outlines of an agreement had been established. He said the United States was prepared to refrain from attacking if negotiations progressed rapidly.

The comments came amid reports that Washington and Israel had been considering a major new wave of strikes targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure. Trump had earlier warned that the United States was “locked and loaded” and ready to unleash military force at levels not seen since the Second World War.

Iran, however, rejected Trump’s account. The semi official Mehr news agency denied that Tehran had requested a pause in military action, describing the claims as false. Acting Defence Minister Majid Ibn al Reza said Iran viewed every threat from its adversaries as credible and would not be caught unprepared.

Three killed in Moscow restaurant bombing as authorities investigate suspected terror attack

At least three people were killed and 21 injured after an explosive device detonated outside an Italian restaurant in central Moscow, in what Russian authorities described as a terrorist attack.

The blast occurred near Kudrinskaya Square at the…