President Donald Trump Reveals He Halted ‘Very Major Attack’ on Iran

President Donald Trump revealed that the United States was prepared to launch what he described as a “very major attack” on Iran before he ultimately called it off at the last minute.

“There seems to be a very good chance that they can work something out,” Trump, 79, said during remarks at the White House on Monday, May 18, per the Associated Press. “If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I’d be very happy.”

According to The Apprentice alum, the strike had initially been planned for Tuesday, May 19, but he chose to delay it after allies in the Middle East urged him to allow Iran more time with negotiations. Trump said leaders in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates believed a potential deal could still be reached within days.

“We were getting ready to do a very major attack,” Trump told reporters, according to Fox News. “And I put it off for a little while, hopefully maybe forever because we’ve had very big discussions with Iran, and we’ll see what they amount to.”

The former reality star’s announcement came after weeks of escalating tensions between the United States and Iran, with him repeatedly warning that military action remained on the table if negotiations failed.

“For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them,” he wrote via Truth Social on May 17.

The president’s comments about pausing the attack immediately impacted global oil markets, according to Reuters. Prices briefly dropped after Trump announced that negotiations were ongoing.