A file picture of U.S. President Donald Trump. Picture: Getty Photos through AFP.
U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned he was suspending a deliberate assault on Iran scheduled for Tuesday (Could 19, 2026) on the request of Gulf leaders amid “critical negotiations” with Tehran.
Mr. Trump’s sudden announcement on social media on Monday (Could 18, 2026) got here after Iran mentioned it had responded to a brand new US proposal geared toward ending the struggle.
Mr. Trump mentioned he would “maintain off on our deliberate Navy assault of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was scheduled for tomorrow,” in a message on his Reality Social community.
The U.S. President mentioned he had been requested to take action by the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as “critical negotiations at the moment are going down.”
The Gulf allies consider “a Deal will likely be made” that features “NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN!” added Mr. Trump.
Mr. Trump mentioned he had knowledgeable the U.S. navy “that we’ll NOT be doing the scheduled assault of Iran tomorrow.”
However he mentioned he had “additional instructed them to be ready to go ahead with a full, giant scale assault of Iran, on a second’s discover, within the occasion that a suitable Deal will not be reached.”
Mr. Trump had given Iran a collection of more and more ominous warnings within the days since his return from a visit to China to satisfy President Xi Jinping.
Late Sunday (Could 17, 2026) he mentioned the “clock is ticking” and threatened that “there received’t be something left” of Iran if no peace deal is reached.
America and Israel have been locked in a struggle with Iran since U.S. and Israeli forces launched strikes in late February.
Mr. Trump has struggled to interrupt an deadlock in negotiations and finish the battle, which has shaken the West Asia and despatched power costs climbing.
The 2 sides have held solely a single spherical of talks in Pakistan regardless of a fragile ceasefire in April.
On Sunday (Could 17, 2026), Iran’s Fars information company mentioned Washington had offered a five-point listing, which included a requirement for Iran to maintain just one nuclear website in operation and switch its stockpile of extremely enriched uranium to the US.
Fars mentioned that the Iranian proposal had emphasised that Tehran would proceed to handle the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a significant power conduit which Iran has largely stored closed because the begin of the struggle.
On Monday (Could 18, 2026), the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), a brand new physique Iran has set as much as handle the Hormuz Strait, mentioned it might present “real-time updates” on X of operations and developments within the waterway.
Mr. Trump says Iran should open up the strait as a part of any deal.
Printed – Could 19, 2026 01:48 am IST