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US President Donald Trump announced he is postponing a planned military attack on Iran that was scheduled for Tuesday, citing requests from Gulf leaders to allow more time for negotiations. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he had been asked to delay the strike by the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, as "serious negotiations are now taking place."

Trump said he had been informed that a deal would be made that is "very acceptable" to the US, adding that there would be "NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN!" However, he warned that he had instructed the US military "to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment's notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached."

Coverage comparison

The announcement was reported by multiple outlets, with consistent core details. Al Jazeera reported that Trump said he was delaying the attack "which was scheduled for tomorrow" after appeals from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. BBC News quoted Trump saying he was holding off a military attack planned for Tuesday, also at the request of the three Gulf leaders. Deutsche Welle noted that Trump cited "a very good chance" of reaching a deal, adding that Gulf allies had urged Washington to delay the attack because of progress in negotiations.

Jerusalem Post reported that Trump said he was "an hour away" from making the decision to attack Iran before several Middle Eastern governments called to ask him to wait several days. Trump said he would be waiting as few as two days or as long as until early next week. South China Morning Post and The Hindu also carried the announcement, with The Hindu quoting Trump as saying he had informed the military "that we will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow."

An analytical piece by Jerusalem Post described a split between Israeli and Gulf officials over Trump's intentions ahead of the decision. Israeli officials reportedly believed a strike was inevitable, while Gulf consensus held that Trump would avoid an attack, with some officials arguing that he did not want oil prices to surge to $250 per barrel just months before the US midterm elections.

Key claims

  • Trump said he called off the planned strike at the request of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, as reported by multiple outlets including Al Jazeera, BBC, Deutsche Welle, South China Morning Post, and The Hindu.
  • Trump said he was told a deal would be made that is "very acceptable" to the US, and that there would be "no nuclear weapons for Iran," as reported by BBC and The Guardian.
  • Trump instructed the US military to remain prepared for a "full, large scale assault" if talks fail, as reported by several outlets including Deutsche Welle and South China Morning Post.
  • Trump claimed he was "an hour away" from launching the attack, as reported by Jerusalem Post.
  • Gulf officials believed Trump did not want oil prices to surge to $250 per barrel before the US midterm elections, a claim reported by Jerusalem Post in its analytical piece.
  • The leaders of Gulf nations urged Washington to ensure Iran provides guarantees that regional countries would not be targeted again, as reported by TASS, citing The Wall Street Journal.
  • Some Gulf countries were unaware of the planned attack until Trump announced its postponement, as reported by TASS, citing The Wall Street Journal.
  • US military officials have compiled a new list of military targets in Iran in case Washington resumes operations, as reported by TASS, citing NBC.

Perspectives

Israeli officials

Senior Israeli officials expected Trump to strike Iran, believing military action was inevitable if negotiations dead-ended. Israel raised its military alertness in anticipation.

Gulf officials

Gulf leaders urged Trump to delay the attack, advocating for a diplomatic path and arguing that he would avoid a strike to prevent an oil price surge ahead of the US midterm elections. Some Gulf countries were reportedly not informed of the planned strike in advance.