Trump Cancels Planned Military Strike on Iran After Regional Appeals for Diplomacy

On Sunday morning, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the cancellation of a planned military strike against Iran. According to Trump, Iran and several Middle Eastern countries requested Washington to hold off on the attack, citing progress toward an agreement that would include the immediate and full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the removal of the Iranian nuclear threat. This announcement explained the relative calm in Iran overnight, following a day of heightened alert in Israel and across the Middle East amid reports of an imminent U.S.-Israeli strike and stern threats from Iranian officials.

Trump emphasized that the cancellation is conditional on a swift agreement, warning that the military option remains on the table. He stated, "The United States is poised, ready, and prepared to act against the Islamic Republic of Iran with military force of a scale unseen since World War II." He also confirmed that Israel supports the decision to pause the operation, urging all parties to finalize the deal quickly.

The announcement followed reports over the weekend that Trump had ordered the military to prepare a new strike against Iran, potentially targeting missile sites, air defenses, refineries, power stations, and energy infrastructure to pressure Tehran into nuclear concessions and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which has been nearly blocked during the conflict. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly urged Trump not to escalate the conflict, warning that attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure could provoke retaliatory strikes on Saudi and Gulf oil and gas facilities.

In Israel, the military raised air defense alert levels amid fears of retaliatory missile or drone attacks following a potential U.S.-Israeli strike. However, no new attacks or explosions were reported in Iran by morning, and the U.S. Central Command did not announce any new operations. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said negotiations are being conducted from a position of strength, asserting that recent strikes have significantly damaged Iran's military capabilities.

Iranian officials had threatened a broad regional response to any U.S. or Israeli aggression, with warnings of retaliation against Gulf states aiding an attack. Reports indicated the Iranian Revolutionary Guards planned to escalate the conflict through allied militias in Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq if the U.S. intensified strikes. Despite the cancellation, Trump made clear that the threat of unprecedented military force remains if negotiations fail, leaving the crisis unresolved but temporarily de-escalated.