Kathmandu: President Donald Trump said Saturday night he has canceled a planned military strike on Iran. He said the decision followed requests from Iran and other Middle Eastern countries, who told him the terms of a deal were largely worked out.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the US military was “locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” but that he’d agreed to pause after hearing from Tehran and other regional governments. He said Israel had agreed to hold off as well.

The pause has a condition attached. Trump said it depends on the two sides being “able to rapidly make a DEAL.” Earlier reporting had suggested the US and Israel were preparing to hit Iran’s energy infrastructure this weekend.

Before Trump’s announcement, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly raised concerns about the strike plans, according to people familiar with the matter.

Iran isn’t backing off its own warnings either. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told regional counterparts by phone that Iran would respond forcefully to any further American attacks.

The State Department’s earlier travel warning still stands. It has urged Americans in the Middle East to consider leaving the region now and it repeated its warning about possible flight cancellations, airspace closures and other travel disruptions.

For now, everyone is watching to see if the deal holds or if the region ends up back where it started.