Ross Harrison, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, tells Al Jazeera that it remains difficult to identify a clear US strategy in the war on Iran because Trump has repeatedly signalled imminent escalation before pulling back.

Harrison said it was too early to tell why Trump called off the planned attacks on Iran, including what commitments Iranians may have made to the US during Araghchi’s calls with his counterparts in Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

“From the Iranian perspective, my sense is that they probably will believe that Donald Trump blinked, because of the potential risk of escalation,” he was quoted as saying.

He said the latest announcement would not represent genuine de-escalation unless the US and Iran reached a clear agreement on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.