President Donald Trump said Thursday he has canceled planned military strikes against Iran, citing progress toward a potential agreement, hours after warning that the United States was prepared to carry out a forceful attack amid escalating tensions.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said discussions with Iran had reached senior levels of leadership and received approval, prompting him to halt the strikes.
“Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have, as President of the United States of America, canceled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening,” Trump wrote.
He added that a deal could be finalized soon, describing it as “to be announced shortly.”
Diplomatic Shift
Trump said the talks had advanced significantly and that key points had been approved “in both concept and great detail” by multiple parties. He listed the United States, Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Egypt among those involved.
Despite canceling the strikes, Trump said the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz would remain in place until an agreement is finalized. The strait is a critical global shipping route through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil and natural gas flows.
Rising Tensions
The reversal came after a sharp escalation in rhetoric earlier in the week. On Wednesday, Trump accused Iran of stalling nuclear negotiations and said the U.S. was prepared to respond militarily.
“We’re going to be attacking them and attacking them very hard,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office just hours before announcing the strikes were off.
Earlier that day, Trump said U.S. forces would hit Iran “very hard tonight,” prompting warnings from Iranian officials. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker and a key figure in negotiations, cautioned against what he called impulsive decisions.
“Wrong strategies and impulsive decisions will reset the entire board for the worse, explode energy infrastructure and markets, and create an endless quagmire,” Ghalibaf wrote on X.
Military Context
The tension follows recent military incidents in the region. U.S. Central Command said Tuesday that American forces carried out self-defense strikes against Iran at Trump’s direction after a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter was downed near the coast of Oman.
CENTCOM said both crew members were rescued within two hours and were not seriously injured. The helicopter had been patrolling regional waters when it went down.
Uncertain Outlook
Even as he signaled optimism about a deal, Trump expressed frustration with Tehran, saying Iran had been “tapping us along” and “playing us for suckers.”
Officials have not released details of the proposed agreement, and it remains unclear how close the parties are to finalizing terms. For now, negotiations continue alongside heightened military and economic pressure.
FAQs
Did Trump cancel planned strikes on Iran?
Yes, he said the strikes were called off Thursday.
Why were the strikes canceled?
Trump cited progress toward a potential deal.
Is the U.S. blockade still in place?
Yes, it remains until a deal is finalized.
What triggered the recent tensions?
Disputes over negotiations and a helicopter incident.
Has a deal been officially signed?
No, Trump said an announcement may come soon.
