Trump says he’s called off Iran strike planned for Tuesday at request of Gulf allies
May 18, 2026, 12:14 PM | Updated: 5:48 pm
President Donald Trump gestures to reporters as he walks across the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, May 15, 2026, in Washington, on return from Beijing where he met with China's President Xi Jinping. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Credit: AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said he is holding off on a military strike on Iran planned for Tuesday because “serious negotiations” are underway.
Trump’s announcement in a social media post Monday came as he had threated the clock was ticking for Iran to strike a deal or fighting would renew after a fragile ceasefire.
The president did not offer details about the planned attack but said but he instructed the U.S. 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.”
Trump has been threatening for weeks that the ceasefire struck in mid-April could end if Iran did not strike a deal, with shifting parameters for striking such an agreement.
