President Donald Trump has abruptly cancelled a highly anticipated wave of airstrikes against Iran, declaring that an expansive diplomatic agreement involving multiple regional powers has been reached in principle.

The United States has abruptly pulled back from the brink of a massive military escalation in the Middle East, altering the trajectory of the regional war. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday afternoon that he has officially canceled a scheduled wave of heavy airstrikes and bombing runs aimed directly at Iranian targets. The sudden de-escalation comes amid intense behind the scenes diplomacy, which the White House claims has successfully yielded a foundational peace agreement with the highest levels of the Iranian government.