Trump calls off planned Iran strike

President Donald Trump said on Monday night that he had called off a military strike on Iran that he said had been scheduled for Tuesday, after leaders from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates asked for a delay while talks continued. Trump said “serious negotiations” were underway and told reporters at the White House that he hoped a deal could be reached without further bombing. The announcement came after he had warned Iran a day earlier to move quickly toward an agreement. It also came as live coverage from multiple outlets described the ceasefire around the conflict as unstable and the diplomacy as unresolved. ### Which strike did Trump say he canceled? Trump said the operation had been scheduled for Tuesday, May 19, and that he had instructed U.S. military leaders not to carry it out. In a social media post and later remarks at the White House, he said the pause was temporary and depended on whether negotiations produced results. (usnews.com) Bloomberg and CNBC reported that Trump identified the three Gulf leaders who appealed for a delay: Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Trump said they argued that a deal remained possible and asked Washington to hold off. (usnews.com) ### What reason did Trump give for standing down? Trump said “serious negotiations” were taking place and said there was “a very good chance” the sides could work something out. At the White House, he said he would be happy to avoid bombing if diplomacy succeeded. AP’s account, carried by U.S. News and NPR affiliates, said he framed the decision as a chance to end the war without immediate military escalation. (bloomberg.com) CBS reported that Trump also warned a major attack could still happen “at a moment’s notice” if a peace deal was not reached. That left the military option in place even as he publicly shifted emphasis to talks. ### What was happening in the negotiations? USA Today reported that Iran had sent another amended proposal, but said the new terms appeared little changed from an earlier version Trump had rejected. (usnews.com) The same report said Tehran remained dug in on core demands even as both sides continued to exchange proposals. (cbsnews.com) The Independent, citing Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi, reported that Tehran’s revised position stressed Iran’s right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes and called for an end to the U.S. blockade. That account said key issues between Washington and Tehran were still unresolved despite the ceasefire and the renewed diplomatic push. (usatoday.com) ### Why were Gulf states pushing for a delay? Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were described in multiple reports as trying to buy time for diplomacy and avoid a wider regional conflict. Bloomberg said the Gulf allies were pushing for a deal to end the war, while CNBC said Trump cast them as regional powers asking Washington to pause military action. (independent.co.uk) Those governments sit close to the conflict and to the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway CNBC described as central to global oil flows. Their intervention put regional partners, not only Washington and Tehran, at the center of the immediate decision to delay action. ### How stable was the ceasefire Trump was talking around? (bloomberg.com) CBS and USA Today both described an active diplomatic effort, but neither suggested the underlying dispute had been settled. ABC7 New York, cited in the source briefing, reported exchanges of fire and another impasse over how to end the war, while the briefing said the ceasefire remained shaky. (cnbc.com) Tuesday’s next markers were concrete: any further White House statement, any Iranian response to the latest proposal, and any sign that the paused May 19 strike order was being revived or replaced. (cbsnews.com 1) (cbsnews.com 2)