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The president Donald Trump announced this Monday that he ordered the suspension of a military strike against Iran that was planned for this Tuesday, following requests from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates to allow time for diplomatic negotiations to reach an agreement.
Trump announced it in a message posted on Truth Social in which he detailed that the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani; the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman; and the President of the UAE, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, personally requested him to postpone the operation.
"The emir of Qatar, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, and the president of the United Arab Emirates have asked me to postpone our planned military attack against the Islamic Republic of Iran, scheduled for tomorrow, as serious negotiations are taking place and, in their opinion, a very acceptable agreement for the United States and the entire region will be reached," Trump wrote.
The president instructed the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Daniel Caine, to suspend the operation but warned that the forces remain on high alert.
"I have ordered them to be ready for a large-scale attack against Iran at any moment, in case an acceptable agreement is not reached," specified Trump.
The agreement being sought would include, according to the U.S. president, a total ban on nuclear weapons for Iran, a condition that Tehran has systematically rejected in previous rounds of negotiations.
The armed conflict between the U.S. and Israel on one side and Iran on the other erupted on February 28, 2026, when a joint operation targeted Iranian nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow.
Iran responded with missiles and drones and closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor through which nearly 20% of the world's oil passes, leaving approximately 2,000 ships and 20,000 sailors stranded and causing the price of crude to soar from $67 to over $126 per barrel.
Since April 13, the U.S. has maintained a naval blockade on Iranian ports with 12 warships, 100 aircraft, and 10,000 personnel deployed, with an estimated cost by the Pentagon of around 25 billion dollars.
Negotiations have been stalled due to a fundamental gap: Washington demands the complete dismantling of Iran's nuclear program and a 20-year moratorium on uranium enrichment, while Tehran has proposed pauses ranging from five to 15 years.
On May 11, Trump called the latest Iranian response to the peace proposal "totally unacceptable," and the following day he summoned his security cabinet to evaluate military options.
On Monday, Trump warned that Iran “is running out of time to negotiate” and that “there will be nothing left” if no agreement is reached.
According to Axios, Trump has reportedly postponed military actions against Iran at least six times since the beginning of the crisis, making this Monday's decision another diplomatic pause against the backdrop of a constant threat of a massive attack.
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