Trump delays planned attack on Iran
- President Trump announced he delayed a planned U.S. attack on Iran at the request of Gulf leaders, according to a social post. - A social post said Trump postponed the strike to allow negotiations on a nuclear deal, quoting him 'hopefully, maybe forever' in a statement. - Gulf officials reportedly had no prior knowledge of an imminent strike, per the social post. (x.com)
Trump wrote in the post: "At the strong request of many leaders in the Gulf, I have DELAYED our very powerful attack on Iran, which was all set and ready to go." He added the postponement allows time for negotiations on a nuclear deal, "hopefully, maybe forever." 2/ The ZeroHedge post quotes Trump as saying Gulf officials "had ZERO idea that such a strike was imminent," suggesting the planned action caught regional allies by surprise. No official White House statement confirming the delay or details of the planned strike had appeared as of 10 a.m. ET on May 19. Pentagon and State Department spokespeople declined immediate comment when reached by Reuters. 3/ Context: U.S.-Iran tensions escalated in early May 2026 after Iran re-exposed ballistic missile sites and tested launches amid a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East, per multiple reports cited in X discussions. Iran's actions followed U.S. accusations of nuclear program advances, with IAEA inspectors reporting on May 15 that Tehran enriched uranium to 84% purity—near weapons-grade—at Fordow. Trump has repeatedly threatened strikes since his January 2025 inauguration. 4/ Gulf leaders' involvement points to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar, key U.S. allies who host American bases and rely on stability for oil exports. A Saudi official told Bloomberg on May 18 that Riyadh urged de-escalation to avoid energy market chaos, without mentioning prior strike knowledge. UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed posted on X overnight: "Dialogue remains the path to security in the Gulf." No direct confirmation of requests to Trump. 5/ The "nuclear deal" reference echoes Trump's past criticism of the 2015 JCPOA, which he exited in 2018. He campaigned in 2024 on negotiating a "better deal" with Iran, tying it to ending support for proxies like Hezbollah and Houthis. Post-delay, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran is "open to talks if aggression stops," in a state TV interview aired May 19. No date set for negotiations. 6/ Markets reacted: Oil futures jumped 4.2% to $92/barrel on May 19 morning, reflecting strike-delay relief, per CME data. Gasoline prices in the U.S. rose 12% since May 1 amid prior tensions, contributing to April CPI at 3.8% y/y. Iran's exposed missile sites near Isfahan were the reported U.S. target, satellite imagery from Maxar showed on May 17. 7/ Broader picture: Putin arrived in Beijing on May 19 for talks with Xi Jinping, using Iran tensions to pitch energy deals, per ZeroHedge. Ukraine advances stalled Russian gains, shifting Moscow's focus east. Trump's TrumpRx expanded to 600+ generics this week, a domestic pivot amid foreign policy moves. 8/ Verification note: ZeroHedge post links to what it calls Trump's "Truth Social," but the exact Trump post ID matches no public archive as of now. Reporters monitoring Trump's accounts saw no equivalent statement by 11 a.m. ET. Updates pending official confirmation. This thread draws from primary X posts and wire reports. Thread ends.
