US, Israel to hold off on Iran strikes

US President Donald Trump has pulled back from plans for major new strikes on Iran, in his latest climbdown after weeks of threatening to hit Tehran hard. The president said late Saturday that the US would hold off, provided a deal can be reached quickly. It follows a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who reportedly urged de-escalation, amid fears that Iran could retaliate against the Kingdom and other Gulf states. In announcing that he was calling off the strikes, Trump…