Middle East
Planned US strike on Iran is put on hold, Trump says
Stars and Stripes
May 18, 2026
USS Abraham Lincoln and Carrier Air Wing 9 transit in formation in the Arabian Sea, Feb. 6, 2026. U.S. Navy assets, including an aircraft carrier and mine-sweeping ships, grow in the Persian Gulf as it works to enforce the naval blockade against Iran and to assure commercial shippers have transit access through the Strait of Hormuz. (Jesse Monford/U.S. Navy)
A military strike on Iran planned for Tuesday has been put on hold, President Donald Trump said Monday in a post on Truth Social.
Leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates requested that the strike be delayed because “serious negotiations are now taking place.”
“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,” Trump said in the post.
If an acceptable deal is not reached, Trump said he has instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine and the U.S. military to “be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice.”
For weeks, the U.S. and Iran have issued conflicting statements about the prospects for a final agreement to end the war that began Feb. 28. Even under a temporary ceasefire, Trump has repeatedly threatened to renew strikes if Iran does not agree to his terms, including surrendering its nuclear material.