Trump says canceled planned attack on Iran

Donald Trump said on May 18 that he had called off a planned U.S. military attack on Iran that he said had been scheduled for Tuesday, after appeals from Persian Gulf leaders for more time to pursue negotiations. The disclosure came first in a social media post and later in remarks at the White House, where Trump said the strike had been delayed “for a little while, hopefully, maybe forever.” He did not provide operational details or independent evidence of the planned action. Multiple news outlets, including CBS News, Politico, Bloomberg and the Associated Press, reported his remarks and identified the Gulf leaders he said made the request. ### Which leaders did Trump say asked him to stop? Trump said the request came from Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In his post, he said they asked him “to hold off” because “serious negotiations are now taking place” and, in their view, a deal could still be reached. (cbsnews.com) CBS News reported that Trump made the announcement on Truth Social on Monday afternoon and later told reporters that the Gulf partners wanted two or three days because they believed they were getting close to an agreement with Iran. Bloomberg separately reported that Trump described the appeal as a push for more time for a diplomatic resolution. (cbsnews.com) ### What exactly did Trump say was planned for Tuesday? Trump said a military attack on Iran had been scheduled for May 19 and described it later at the White House as “a very major attack.” He said he had ordered Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Daniel Caine and the U.S. military not to carry it out for now. (cbsnews.com) Politico reported that Trump said the military should remain prepared to launch a “full, large scale assault” on short notice if an “acceptable Deal” is not reached. The Associated Press, in a report carried by U.S. News, said Trump had not previously disclosed that a strike was planned for Tuesday and did not offer details about the operation. (cbsnews.com) ### Is there independent confirmation that a strike had been scheduled? No public independent confirmation has emerged in the reporting reviewed that verifies a U.S. strike order had been finalized for May 19. The claim rests on Trump’s own social media post and his later comments to reporters. (politico.com) The Associated Press said Trump did not offer details about the planned attack, while CBS News and Bloomberg both framed the development around Trump’s announcement rather than any Pentagon confirmation of a scheduled operation. ### What reason did Trump give for the pause? (cbsnews.com) Trump said the delay was tied to ongoing talks and to the possibility of an agreement that would include, in his words, “NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN.” At the White House, he said, “There seems to be a very good chance that they can work something out.” (usnews.com) Politico reported that Trump was scheduled to meet with his national security team on Tuesday to discuss Iran further. Trump also said publicly that if negotiations fail, the military remains on notice for possible action. ### What should readers treat as confirmed, and what remains unverified? Confirmed: Trump publicly said on May 18 that he had postponed a strike he said was planned for May 19, and he named Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE as the governments that asked him to wait. (cbsnews.com) Confirmed: he repeated the claim later at the White House and said U.S. forces should stay ready if talks collapse. (politico.com) Unverified: the existence, scope and timing of the alleged operation beyond Trump’s account. None of the reporting reviewed cited documentary evidence, Pentagon confirmation or on-the-record corroboration from the Gulf governments or Iran establishing that a specific U.S. attack order had been set for May 19. (cbsnews.com)