Trump says he's postponing Iran attack at Middle East leaders' request
By: Kevin Breuninger (CNBC)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Published Mon, May 18 20263:09 PM EDTUpdated 56 Min AgoWATCH LIVEKey Points
- President Donald Trump said he is calling off a plan to attack Iran on Tuesday after the heads of three regional powers in the Middle East asked him to "hold off."
- Trump said he received requests from Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Cain should still "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," Trump said.
US President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks to reporters after arriving on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 15, 2026. Alex Wroblewski | AFP | Getty Images
President Donald Trump said Monday he is calling off a plan to attack Iran on Tuesday after the heads of three regional powers in the Middle East asked him to "hold off."
Trump, in a Truth Social post, said he has informed U.S. military leaders "that we will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow" in light of the requests from Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
There had been no clear indication prior to Trump's post that the U.S. was preparing to strike Iran on Tuesday, officially scrapping its tattered ceasefire with Iran. Trump had told the New York Post in an interview earlier Monday that Iran knows "what's going to be happening soon," though he declined to provide details.
Trump was considering resuming active military operations after Tehran's latest response in ongoing negotiations over a deal to end the war was deemed insufficient, Axios reported.
At a White House event Monday afternoon, Trump said, "we were getting ready to do a very major attack tomorrow."
"I put it off for a little while, hopefully maybe forever, but possibly for a little while" because "we've had very big discussions with Iran, and we'll see what they amount to," he said.
Trump said that he had been asked by multiple countries to put off the impending attack on Iran "for two or three days, a short period of time, because they think that they are getting very close to making a deal."
He added that if Iran is satisfied with a deal in which they do not get a nuclear weapon, "we will be probably satisfied also."
In Monday's post, Trump claimed that the three regional leaders had asked for the planned attack to be postponed "in that serious negotiations are now taking place, and that, in their opinion, as Great Leaders and Allies, a Deal will be made, which will be very acceptable to the United States of America, as well as all Countries in the Middle East, and beyond."
"This Deal will include, importantly, NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN!" Trump wrote.
The president said he told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine that while Tuesday's attack is off, they should "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."
Hegseth traveled to Kentucky on Monday to attend a political event with a Republican House candidate challenging incumbent GOP Rep. Thomas Massie, whom Trump wants to kick out of Congress.
The U.S. and Iran are locked in a sort of military and economic stalemate centered on the Strait of Hormuz, the vital global oil-shipping route that has been beset by dueling blockades amid the war, preventing most ships from passing through.
The battle to control the strait has deeply frayed an already shaky ceasefire, which began nearly six weeks earlier is nominally still in effect — though it has repeatedly been punctured by fighting, and Trump last week said it's on "life support."
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This is the first public acknowledgement that UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have been in direct communication with Iran without US involvement. It is interesting that Oman wasn't mentioned since Oman has been a mediator and shares sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
One of Iran's diplomatic goals has been establishing a regional security arrangement that excludes the US. The Persian Gulf states can deny permission for the US to launch strikes against Iran from their territory. This may be a small sign that Iran's shuttle diplomacy is paying off for Iran. It could also be an indication of China's back channel influence.
The regional players stopping US military operations indicates a change in the security alliance. It's too early to tell how that change will affect future diplomatic relations.
Or Trump may be lying. This is what you get when you put a pathological liar in power.
If it comes out of his mouth it is almost statistically impossible that it is true.
The asshole posted this tonight