Tel Aviv/Washington:
U.S. President Donald Trump said late Saturday that he would halt new planned attacks on Iran pending renewed talks to wind down the five-month war and revive stalled cargo traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. It marks the latest in a recurring pattern in which the U.S. president first threatens massive strikes and then calls them off — only for hostilities to resume days or even hours later.
The Latest Pause
Trump said on Truth Social that Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had asked the U.S. to hold off on any attack, citing progress toward the “parameters of a deal” that would address Iran’s nuclear programme and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He said American forces remained “locked and loaded and ready to go” but that he had agreed to cancel the planned attack “subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL.” The announcement came a day after U.S. officials had said new strikes could take place as soon as this weekend, and after Trump had earlier told reporters at a Cabinet meeting that the U.S. would be “hitting them very hard.”
A Five-Month Pattern of Abrupt Reversals
The conflict, which began earlier this year, has repeatedly seen Trump announce halts to strikes, only for renewed attacks to follow shortly after. In one recent instance, Trump said he had paused two weeks of intense, daily U.S. strikes on Iran to give negotiations another chance, following 13 consecutive days in which the U.S. military targeted key military and commercial sites amid escalating clashes over shipping routes. Iran, in turn, has launched missiles and drone strikes at countries hosting U.S. troops in the region during the conflict. The back-and-forth has contributed to sharp rises in the price of oil and other essential goods.
Region on Edge
The U.S. State Department has issued a fresh travel advisory urging American citizens in the Middle East to consider departing the region. Iran has issued new threats against countries hosting U.S. military bases, while Kuwaiti authorities reported Iranian drone activity early Saturday. Separately, in Gaza, Israeli strikes reportedly left significant damage near a hospital less than 48 hours after Trump had announced a potential breakthrough in Israel-Hamas peace efforts, adding further uncertainty to that parallel diplomatic track.
Note: This report is based on statements from President Trump and reporting from international news agencies. The situation remains fluid and subject to rapid change.
