Trump suspends Iran strike plans

President Donald Trump said on May 18 that he had called off a U.S. military attack on Iran that had been scheduled for the following day, saying Gulf Arab leaders asked for more time for negotiations. In a Truth Social post and later remarks at the White House, Trump said the request came from the emir of Qatar, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and the president of the United Arab Emirates. He said the strike was paused, not abandoned, and that U.S. forces were ordered to remain ready if talks fail. Iranian officials, meanwhile, said contacts with Washington were continuing through Pakistani mediators. ### What exactly did Trump say he stopped? Trump said Monday that a “planned Military attack” on Iran set for Tuesday would not go ahead for now. He wrote that Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had asked him to hold off because “serious negotiations” were underway. The White House remarks were similar. Trump told reporters the United States had been preparing “a very major attack tomorrow” but that he put it off “for a little while,” adding that he hoped maybe “forever,” depending on the talks. He also said any deal would include “NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN.” ### Who asked for the pause, and why does Pakistan keep appearing in the story? (cbsnews.com) Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were the leaders Trump named publicly as requesting the delay. His post said they believed a deal could still be reached that would be acceptable to the United States and countries in the region. Pakistan appears in the story because Iranian officials say messages are being passed through Islamabad. (cbsnews.com) Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on May 18 that Washington had sent revised points through Pakistani mediators and that Tehran had responded through the same channel. Al Jazeera, citing Iranian and regional officials, also reported that Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was in Tehran over the weekend for meetings with President Masoud Pezeshkian, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. ### What is verified about the oil-sanctions issue? Tasnim News Agency, which is close to Iranian state institutions, reported on May 18 that the United States had accepted a proposal to waive Iran oil sanctions during the negotiation period. Tasnim said the proposed step would amount to a temporary waiver of Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions until a final understanding is reached. (aljazeera.com) That claim has not been confirmed in the U.S. statements reviewed here. Trump’s public comments focused on the paused strike, the Gulf leaders’ request and the condition that Iran not obtain nuclear weapons. A live update cited by Indian Express said an Iranian official did not immediately comment on whether Washington had agreed to waive oil sanctions, even as Tasnim carried the report. (tasnimnews.ir) ### Did Trump also threaten renewed action? Trump said he had instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman General Daniel Caine and the U.S. military not to carry out the scheduled strike on Tuesday. In the same statement, he said they should be prepared to launch a “full, large scale assault” on short notice if no acceptable deal is reached. (cbsnews.com) On May 18, Politico reported Trump was expected to meet his national security team again on Tuesday to discuss Iran. That makes the next formal U.S. signal likely to come either from Trump, the White House or officials involved in those talks, while Iran has said the Pakistani channel remains active. (politico.com) (cbsnews.com)