Trump pauses Iran attack plans, Hormuz toll proposal unveiled and Iraq probes drone incident

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, US President Donald Trump says he delayed planned military strikes on Iran after appeals from Gulf leaders to allow more time for negotiations. Iran has submitted a new 14-point proposal aimed at ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz through talks mediated by Pakistan. Tehran has also unveiled plans for a new authority to manage passage through the strait using a cryptocurrency-based insurance platform, a move opposed by the US and Gulf states. Iraq is investigating an incident in which Saudi Arabia said drones entered its airspace from Iraqi territory on Sunday. In the UAE, authorities have launched plans to train 80,000 government employees in AI systems as part of a broader digital transformation strategy across federal services. Trending Middle East is AI-assisted, using original reporting published in The National and curated and edited by humans.