Reports say Trump halted planned strikes on Iran

President Donald Trump said on Monday that he had put off a planned U.S. military strike on Iran that had been scheduled for Tuesday, after appeals from Gulf Arab leaders who said negotiations still had a chance. Trump disclosed the decision first in a Truth Social post and later repeated it at a White House event, saying he wanted to allow more time for diplomacy. Politico, Bloomberg and the Associated Press all reported the pause on May 18, citing Trump’s public statements. The episode moved beyond social-media chatter because Trump himself said a strike had been planned for Tuesday. Earlier posts on X, including ones highlighted in the source briefings, pointed to a possible pause tied to Gulf consultations, but the clearest public confirmation came from Trump’s own Monday statements. He said regional allies believed “serious negotiations” were underway and asked Washington to wait. (politico.com) ### Did Trump actually confirm there had been a planned strike? Trump said on May 18 that the United States had been preparing “a very major attack” on Iran for the following day. At a White House appearance Monday evening, he said he had put it off “for a little while, hopefully, maybe forever,” while talks continued. Bloomberg and the AP both reported those remarks after his social-media post. (politico.com) Politico reported that Trump wrote the U.S. plan to strike Iran had been scheduled for Tuesday. The AP said Trump had not previously disclosed that a Tuesday attack was being prepared and that he did not offer operational details about the planned action. ### Which Gulf leaders did Trump say asked for a delay? Trump named three Gulf leaders in his post and subsequent comments: Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. (usnews.com) He said they urged him to “hold off” because negotiations were progressing. Politico and the AP both identified the same three leaders. (politico.com) The AP reported that Trump said the Gulf allies asked him to wait “two to three days” because they believed they were close to a deal with Iran. Bloomberg described the appeal as a request for more time to pursue a diplomatic resolution. ### What reason did Trump give for pausing the attack? (politico.com) Trump said the pause was tied to ongoing discussions with Iran and to the Gulf leaders’ argument that a deal might still be reached. He said at the White House that if the matter could be resolved without bombing Iran, he would be “very happy,” according to the AP. Bloomberg reported that Trump said the United States had held “very big discussions with Iran.” (usnews.com) Politico reported that Trump said any eventual deal would include “no nuclear weapons for Iran.” The same report said Trump did not spell out what the provisions would mean for the Strait of Hormuz, a central pressure point in the broader confrontation. ### Did Trump say the military option was off the table? Trump said on Monday that the delay was temporary unless an acceptable agreement was reached. (usnews.com) Politico reported that he said he had instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Daniel Caine to be ready to carry out “a full, large scale assault of Iran” on short notice if talks failed. The AP also reported that Trump said the military should remain prepared to move immediately if no acceptable deal emerged. (politico.com) That language matched Trump’s broader pattern of pairing threats with short negotiating windows. The AP noted that Trump had repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran and then backed off, while also reserving the option of renewed military action. ### What happens next? Trump said he was scheduled to meet his national security team on Tuesday to discuss Iran further, according to Politico. (politico.com) The next public test will be whether the short diplomatic window Trump described produces any formal U.S. or Iranian statement, or whether the administration revives the military plan he said had been set for May 19. (usnews.com)