Trump Delays Military Strike on Iran After Allies Request More Time
President Donald Trump recently indicated he was very close to approving a military strike on Iran but decided to postpone it at the request of Gulf allies who wanted additional time for peace negotiations.
“I was an hour away from making the decision to go today,” Trump shared with reporters while visiting the site of his new ballroom at the White House. He emphasized that everything was prepared for the operation: “We’re all set to go. Yeah, it was all done, the boats, the ships were all loaded, they’re loaded to the brim, and we were ready to start.”
However, Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the prolonged diplomatic negotiations between his administration and Iran’s current leadership. He mentioned the possibility of delivering a “big hit” should the situation not improve.
“They knew I was getting ready to attack,” he stated, adding that he usually keeps the timing of any military action under wraps. But, after receiving a request from Iran for a few more days to negotiate, he decided to hold off.
On Monday, Trump also revealed on Truth Social that several leaders from the Middle East had urged him not to resume hostilities with Iran, following a ceasefire that began after Easter weekend, initially meant to last two weeks.
He wrote, “I have been asked by the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to hold off on our planned military attack of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was scheduled for tomorrow.”
Trump added that “serious negotiations are now taking place” and conveyed optimism about the potential for a deal that could satisfy the U.S. and other nations in the region. He emphasized that the deal, crucially, would ensure “NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN!” He instructed key military leaders to remain prepared for a significant assault if an agreement isn’t reached soon.
Later on, Trump reiterated his limited patience regarding how long he would wait for a favorable outcome from Tehran. “I’m saying two or three days, maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, something, maybe early next week, a limited period of time,” he cautioned, expressing the urgency of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities. “I’m not going to let the world be blown up on my watch.”
