Trump pauses Iran strike plan

President Donald Trump said on Monday he had paused a planned U.S. attack on Iran after Tehran sent Washington a new peace proposal, opening a narrow diplomatic window after days of threats and market turmoil. Trump said Gulf leaders had urged him to hold off on a strike that he said had been scheduled for the next day. (gmanetwork.com) He also said there was a “very good chance” of reaching an agreement that would limit Iran’s nuclear program. Oil prices, which had risen on war-related supply fears, turned volatile, while European shares finished modestly higher as investors weighed the possibility of a deal. (politico.com) ### What exactly did Trump say he stopped? Trump said on May 18 that he had paused a planned military attack on Iran to allow negotiations to continue after what he described as a new Iranian peace proposal. (gmanetwork.com) Reuters reported that Trump said the proposal raised the prospect of a deal and that he had put the attack on hold rather than proceed immediately. A social media post cited by multiple outlets said Trump had been asked by regional leaders to delay “our planned Military attack of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was scheduled for tomorrow.” Politico and CNBC reported that Trump said Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had pressed for a short delay to give diplomacy more time. (gmanetwork.com) ### Why did the White House say the pause happened now? Tehran’s latest proposal was the immediate trigger cited in Reuters reporting. U.S. News, citing Reuters, said Trump described a “very good chance” of a deal after Iran sent a new peace proposal to Washington. Reuters also said it could not determine whether preparations for renewed strikes had been completed. (gmanetwork.com) Trump had escalated his rhetoric just a day earlier. CBS and other outlets reported that he warned Iran that “the Clock is Ticking” and said Tehran needed to move quickly toward an agreement or face harder strikes. That warning framed the pause less as a settlement than as a temporary halt while talks continued. (politico.com) ### Which countries are trying to broker more time? Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were the Gulf states Trump named as having asked for a delay, according to CNBC and Politico. Their request, as Trump described it, was for “two or three days” because they believed negotiators were getting close to an agreement. (usnews.com) Pakistan also appeared in some accounts of the diplomacy. Al Jazeera reported that Tehran’s proposal was sent to Washington through Pakistan, though that detail was not confirmed in the Reuters dispatches cited above. ### How did markets react to the halt? Brent crude had already climbed on Monday as traders focused on war-related supply risks. (cbsnews.com) Reuters reported that Brent settled at $112.10 a barrel on May 18, up 2.6%, while U.S. crude settled at $108.66, up 3.1%, after volatile trading tied to the Iran conflict and sanctions headlines. (cnbc.com) European shares rose on Tuesday after the pause became public. Reuters reported that the pan-European STOXX 600 index ended slightly higher as investors welcomed news that the United States had paused an attack on Iran and assessed the chances of an imminent peace deal. Reuters also said Brent was volatile during the session and was last down about 1%, though it remained above $100 a barrel. (aljazeera.com) ### How firm is this pause? Trump’s own language pointed to a short and conditional delay. CNBC reported that he said the attack was being postponed for only “two or three days,” and Politico reported that he said military forces should remain ready to move on short notice if no acceptable deal emerged. (money.usnews.com) Reuters reported that Trump tied any agreement to limits on Iran’s nuclear program. That leaves the next step in the hands of negotiators in Washington and Tehran, with Gulf governments still pressing for more time and markets watching oil prices for the next signal. (usnews.com) (cnbc.com) (money.usnews.com)