Tomorrow's planned attack on Iran postponed / Trump reveals the reason

2026-05-18 22:03:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

US President Donald Trump has announced the postponement of a military strike on Iran planned for Tuesday at the request of Gulf states.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, he said that the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates had asked him to do this.

He warned that the US military would be prepared to proceed with a full-scale, large-scale attack on Iran immediately if an acceptable agreement was not reached.

Full post:

The Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, have asked me to postpone our planned military strike on the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was scheduled for tomorrow, because serious negotiations are now underway and that, in their opinion, as Great Leaders and Allies, an Agreement will be reached that will be highly acceptable to the United States of America, as well as to all countries in the Middle East and beyond.

This Agreement will include, importantly, NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN! Based on my respect for the aforementioned Leaders, I have instructed the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Daniel Caine, and the United States Army, that we will NOT conduct the planned attack on Iran tomorrow, but have further instructed them to be prepared to proceed with a full-scale, full-scale attack on Iran, at a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Agreement is not reached.

Iran has yet to respond to Trump's latest statement. Over the weekend, Trump warned Tehran that "the clock is ticking" as talks to end the war have stalled.

Israeli and US forces launched massive air strikes on Iran on February 28, with Tehran retaliating by firing drones and missiles at Israel and US targets across the Gulf. A ceasefire agreed in April aimed at facilitating talks has largely held despite occasional exchanges of fire.

Iran has also continued to control the Strait of Hormuz, effectively closing the vital waterway through which about 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas travels. The move, which Iran has called revenge for US and Israeli attacks, has sent oil prices soaring globally.

The US, for its part, has implemented a blockade of Iranian ports to pressure Tehran to agree to its terms. /CNA