Trump cancels planned strike on Iran, opens negotiations

President Donald Trump said on May 18 that he had called off a U.S. strike on Iran that had been planned for May 19 after Gulf leaders asked for more time for diplomacy. In a Truth Social post and later at the White House, Trump said “serious negotiations” were underway and that he had put off what he described as “a very major attack.” He said the pause came after appeals from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. He also said U.S. forces should remain ready to launch “a full, large scale assault” if no acceptable agreement is reached. ### Which strike did Trump say he canceled? Trump said the halted operation was a military attack on Iran scheduled for Tuesday, May 19. He did not publicly describe the target set, the scale of the planned strikes or the operational timeline beyond saying the attack had been planned for “tomorrow” when he posted on Monday. AP and Bloomberg both reported that Trump disclosed the planned strike himself rather than through a prior Pentagon announcement. (usnews.com) Monday’s White House remarks added one more detail. Trump said, “we were getting ready to do a very major attack tomorrow,” then said he had put it off “for a little while, hopefully maybe forever, but possibly for a little while.” ### Who asked him to hold off? Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan were the leaders Trump named as having asked him to wait. (usnews.com) CNBC reported that Trump said those leaders urged him to “hold off” because they believed a deal with Iran was close. AP reported that Trump said Gulf allies wanted two to three days because they felt they were near an agreement. (cnbc.com) Trump’s public wording tied the delay directly to those requests. In his social media post, as quoted by CNBC and other outlets, he said “serious negotiations are now taking place” and that the regional leaders believed “a Deal will be made.” ### Was this a cancellation or only a pause? Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. (cnbc.com) Dan Cain were told to stay prepared to move “on a moment’s notice” if talks fail, according to Trump’s post as reported by CNBC and AP. That language pointed to a postponement rather than a permanent cancellation. Bloomberg separately reported Trump saying he had put the strike off “for a little while.” AP also reported that Trump framed the delay as conditional on diplomacy producing results. He said there was “a very good chance” the parties could work something out and that he would be happy to avoid bombing if they did. ### What is known about the talks? (cnbc.com) Monday’s reporting described active diplomacy but few verified terms. Trump said only that there had been “very big discussions with Iran” and that the question was whether they would amount to an “acceptable Deal.” CNBC reported that Trump indicated the United States would likely be satisfied if Iran accepted a deal in which it did not obtain a nuclear weapon. (usnews.com) Time reported on May 19 that Iran had submitted a revised 14-point proposal through Pakistani mediators, though the publication said it was unclear whether the new proposal resolved core disputes over Iran’s nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz. That account was attributed to Iranian state-linked media. (cnbc.com) ### What happened in oil markets? Brent crude traded above $100 a barrel during the latest phase of the Iran crisis, with Trading Economics showing Brent around $110 on May 19. The move reflected continuing concern over disruption tied to the Strait of Hormuz even after Trump said he was delaying the strike. The immediate next test is diplomatic. (time.com) Trump said the delay would last only “two or three days” if Gulf intermediaries are right that a deal is close, and he said U.S. forces remain prepared if no agreement emerges. (cnbc.com) (tradingeconomics.com)