At the Last Moment, Trump Cancels Strike on Iran, Says, "There Is an Agreement"

The American president announced the cancellation of a military operation against Tehran. Israel, Saudi Arabia and the Emirates approved the outline. | Complete surprise in Jerusalem

Late at night, between Wednesday and Thursday, a dramatic turn took place in the Persian Gulf: U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he had decided at the last moment to cancel a wide-ranging strike plan against Iran. The surprise announcement, published on the social network Truth Social, came after hours of extreme tension and threats of a military response "with very great force."

"The discussions and final clauses have been approved by all parties," Trump said in his statement, listing a long series of countries that had given their blessing to the outline. Among the countries that approved the understandings, according to him, were Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and additional countries in the region.

Complete surprise in Jerusalem

In Israel's security establishment, the announcement came as a complete surprise. Until the evening hours, senior officials in Jerusalem believed the window of opportunity for a deal had closed, and that the contacts between Washington and Tehran were stalled with no chance of significant progress. Those officials assessed that the chances of a diplomatic breakthrough in the near term were extremely low.

However, reports that reached Qatar earlier this week hinted that "the agreement is closer than ever," although no precise details were published. At the Iranian news agency Fars, they refrained from giving final confirmation of the understandings, and clarified that the matter was still under review and in-depth examination.

From threats to cancellation

The move comes after, only a few days ago, Trump threatened extreme measures against Iran. The American president said the U.S. would consider taking control of the strategic island of Kharg and Iran's main oil hubs, similar to the move carried out in Venezuela. "We will take over their energy markets," Trump said confidently, while referring to past U.S. strikes on strategic Iranian sites.

Military plans to seize Kharg Island have reportedly been in the works for months, according to American reports. However, senior Pentagon officials told the president that such an operation would require a significant number of ground forces and could lead to heavy casualties. For that reason, the Pentagon and the White House treated the move as a "last resort," an option to be used only in the event of complete failure of the diplomatic track.

The tensions continue

Despite the cancellation announcement, the front remains volatile. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed overnight that Iranian surveillance, communications and air defense hubs were attacked, in response to the regime in Tehran's "unrelenting aggression." The American strikes, carried out in recent days, caused significant damage to Iran's air defense systems.

In Israel, which had prepared for a scenario of launches toward the home front, officials continue to monitor reports from Tehran closely. The security establishment remains on high alert, with the big question still unresolved: Is this time a historic breakthrough that will bring a fundamental change in U.S.-Iran relations, or another round of an endless crisis that will explode again within days? More updates to follow.