Tareq Salahi -- I'll Stop Trashing My Wife in Public ... for Now

Tareq Salahi won't get the chance to trash his "groupie slut" wife in open court ... for now ... because he and Michaele have agreed to suspend their divorce proceedings while they try to hash out a settlement in private mediation.

It's a pretty shocking move considering the Salahis might be the biggest fame whores on the planet -- but sources close to Tareq tell us, he feels handling the issues behind closed doors will be the most effective way to get a deal done quickly.

Tareq filed a formal request to dismiss his divorce complaint earlier this month ... and we're told private mediation is set to begin in November ... when Michaele's other man, Neal Schon, finishes up his tour with his band, Journey.