U.S. Military Readiness and Trump’s Diplomatic Maneuvers

A report that came out on Thursday evening revealed that the U.S. military was fully prepared to execute a strike against Iran, just three hours away from action. However, President Donald Trump unexpectedly called off the operation, announcing that significant progress was being made towards a deal with Iran.

According to NBC News, the military had received orders to proceed with the attack and was actively gearing up for it. U.S. Navy ships were busy coordinating air support and readying munitions for the mission when Trump made the announcement about the ongoing negotiations with Iran, which had reportedly escalated to a high level of involvement.

This situation underscores how close the U.S. was to engaging in military action against Iran for the third consecutive night. Just the night before, U.S. forces targeted Iran’s surveillance capabilities and air defenses as part of a strategic effort to pressure Iran into a U.S.-backed agreement.

Reports indicated that the planned strike on Thursday was quite similar to the previous night’s operation. Interestingly, officials noted that Kharg Island, which is Iran’s principal oil export hub, wasn’t part of the plans, even though Trump had publicly hinted earlier that the U.S. would eventually take control of it and other Iranian energy assets.

There had been ongoing preparations throughout the day, with military planners anticipating that the attack would move forward following Trump’s public warning about striking Iran “very hard tonight.” However, his announcement about an imminent agreement came just hours before the planned operation commenced.

This decision followed a series of diplomatic efforts led by regional allies, including officials from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Pakistan, who conveyed to the president that a deal was within reach. They had contacted Trump to dissuade him from proceeding with the attack, suggesting that progress in negotiations could be a more viable path forward.

After the operation was called off, Trump shared with reporters in the Oval Office that he had reason to believe Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei would approve the new deal.

When pressed on whether Khamenei had signed anything, Trump replied, “I understand the answer is yes.” He also expressed optimism about the deal’s success, citing the military pressure being exerted on Tehran.

“They’ve put themselves in a pretty bad situation. They want more from the agreement than I do,” he remarked.

Trump reiterated that the final deal would ensure Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons.

“They don’t have nuclear weapons,” he stated. “Not only do they not have nuclear weapons, but they won’t buy them or develop them in any way.”

He first announced the breakthrough on Truth Social, mentioning that he called off the attack after discussions with Iran reached the highest political level, receiving in-principle approval from all involved parties. He added that a naval blockade would remain in effect until the deal is finalized, and mentioned that a signing ceremony would be forthcoming.

In a virtual conference call late Thursday, Trump claimed the conflict was largely resolved. “I don’t know if you heard, but today we ended the war with Iran. We agreed that Iran would never have nuclear weapons,” he stated, emphasizing that this was the central aim.

“People will start coming home soon. It’s almost complete. We’ve got everything we wanted,” he added.

While Iranian officials have acknowledged that negotiations are nearing completion, they have yet to confirm Trump’s statements. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei commented that while much of the negotiating text had been finalized, Iran had not yet made a conclusive decision on the deal.

“Iran has not yet reached a final decision on the deal,” he noted, according to state media.

Despite this, various reports indicate notable progress in recent days. Mediators from Qatar and Pakistan are reportedly working to bridge gaps regarding issues like the release of Iran’s frozen assets and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Trump on Thursday following the announcement. According to Netanyahu’s office, he expressed appreciation for Trump’s commitment that the final agreement would involve dismantling Iran’s enrichment capabilities and curbing its missile production, alongside halting support for regional terrorist groups.