Donald Trump has revealed he aborted a ‘full scale’ attack on Iran at the eleventh hour, standing down US forces only after Middle Eastern leaders personally intervened to plead for one last shot at a nuclear deal.
Trump announced on Truth Social that he will ‘not follow through’ with the strike scheduled for Tuesday as he vowed that Iran will not be allowed to have a nuclear bomb under any peace agreement.
The President agreed to stand down after lobbying from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as well as the rulers of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
‘I have been asked … to hold off on our planned Military attack of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was scheduled for tomorrow,’ Trump wrote.
He said that ‘serious negotiations are now taking place’ and that America’s Gulf allies believe that a deal can be struck ‘which will be very acceptable’ to the United States.
‘This Deal will include, importantly, no nuclear weapons for Iran! Based on my respect for the above mentioned Leaders,’ Trump added.
Trump noted he had instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the US military to call off Tuesday’s strike, but to stand ready for a ‘full, large scale assault’ on Iran if no deal is reached. Hegseth, in a stark break from Pentagon norms, is currently in Kentucky campaigning for Ed Gallrein against Trump’s nemesis Rep. Thomas Massie.
Oil prices remained elevated despite Trump signaling that a peace deal could be imminent. Brent crude, the global benchmark, fell from $112 per barrel to $109 per barrel on the news.
Donald Trump speaks to the press aboard Air Force One enroute to the U.S. following his official visit with President Xi Jinping in China, May 15
AH-64 Apaches flying above the Strait of Hormuz during a patrol on April 17
An oil tanker burns after being hit by an Iranian strike in the ship-to-ship transfer zone at Khor al-Zubair port near Basra, Iraq, late Wednesday, March 11
The fragile ceasefire with Iran has held for over a month as Trump has repeatedly extended deadlines for Tehran to accept US terms for a permanent peace agreement.
Tehran sent its latest proposal to the White House asking for the release of its frozen overseas assets and full sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
The regime declined to commit to suspending uranium enrichment or handing over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
An Israeli official earlier Monday warned that the mood in Iran is ‘euphoric’ as they believe that despite Trump’s repeated threats he is unwilling to renew all-out war.
‘The Iranians are not willing to give Trump anything because they sense that he is desperate to end the war,’ the Israeli source told Ynet.
‘Their agenda is to humiliate Trump and show that they have defeated the world’s greatest power.’
Trump said on Sunday that the ‘clock is ticking’ for Iran to reach a peace deal as reports surfaced the President was close to resuming military strikes.
The President noted earlier that the ceasefire was on ‘massive life support’ and dismissed Iran’s counteroffer as ‘totally unacceptable.’
Should Trump rely on Gulf allies to shape US response to Iran’s nuclear ambitions?
Iran has seized on oil tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz by deploying speed boats
Fossil fuel shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have come to a standstill since the war began two months ago.
Iran has deployed speedboats, drones, and sea mines, making it dangerous to transport oil aboard US-backed tankers.
Meanwhile, Trump has imposed a naval blockade on all Iranian ports in an effort to force the regime back to the negotiating table.
