SouthernWorldwide.com – President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he had canceled planned strikes against Iran, indicating that a potential deal with the country is anticipated soon. This decision came just hours after he had previously vowed to retaliate against the Islamic Republic amidst ongoing tense negotiations.
Trump stated on his Truth Social platform, “Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have, as President of the United States of America, canceled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening.”
The President further elaborated that he had called off the strikes while a deal was in the process of being finalized. He mentioned that the discussions and the final terms had been approved by all involved parties. These parties included not only the United States but also Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, and Egypt, among others.
Trump also clarified that the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz would continue. This strait is a critical global shipping route, through which approximately 20 percent of the world’s oil and natural gas passes. The blockade will remain in full effect until a definitive deal is reached.
This sudden shift in strategy followed President Trump’s strong statements on Wednesday, where he threatened a forceful response. He accused Tehran of deliberately prolonging nuclear negotiations and of targeting a U.S. helicopter.
Just hours before rescinding the strike orders, Trump had informed reporters that U.S. forces would be launching significant attacks against Iran, stating, “U.S. forces would be hitting Iran ‘VERY HARD TONIGHT.'” In response to these threats, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian parliament and a key figure in the U.S.-Iran negotiations, cautioned against employing what he termed “wrong strategies and impulsive decisions.”
Ghalibaf expressed his concerns on the platform X, warning that such actions could “reset the entire board for the worse, explode energy infrastructure and markets, and create an endless quagmire that you will be stuck in for years.”
Earlier, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump had reiterated his intent, saying, “We’re going to be attacking them and attacking them very hard.”
The situation had escalated on Tuesday when U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that U.S. forces had carried out self-defense strikes against Iran. These actions were taken under President Trump’s orders as a direct response to the downing of a U.S. helicopter.
CENTCOM had previously stated on Monday that two crew members aboard a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter were safely rescued by American forces. The helicopter had gone down near the coast of Oman while conducting routine patrols in regional waters. Both soldiers were reportedly recovered within two hours of the incident.
Despite being on the verge of reaching an agreement, President Trump expressed frustration, stating that Iran had been “tapping us along” and “playing us for suckers.”
