WASHINGTON – Middle East appears to edge closer to another military escalation, until a last moment announcement from US President Donald Trump changed the course. After days of threats and growing fears of fresh strikes on Iran, Trump revealed he had paused military action, saying regional allies had urged restraint as a possible diplomatic deal began to take shape.
Trump unexpectedly suspended plans for fresh military strikes on Iran after what he described as urgent appeals from Iran and several Middle Eastern allies, signalling a possible diplomatic breakthrough in the six-month-long conflict.
He declared that US forces remain “locked and loaded” and ready to strike at any moment, but said he was putting military action on hold because the “perimeters of a deal” had been agreed. He stressed that the pause would last only if negotiations moved quickly toward a final agreement.
The surprise announcement came just days after Trump threatened to hit Iran “very hard,” fuelling fears of another major escalation in the Middle East. US and Israel were preparing a joint bombing campaign targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure, per report.
Trump said the request to delay military action came not only from Iran but also from several regional countries seeking to prevent another round of fighting. He added that Israel had agreed to support the diplomatic effort, raising hopes that negotiations could replace military confrontation.
He said any future agreement must include the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz—one of the world’s most strategically important oil routes, and end of what he called Iran’s nuclear threat.
The conflict remained volatile since February 28, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iranian military facilities and senior commanders. Tehran retaliated by largely closing the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a sharp rise in global oil prices and heightening concerns over energy supplies.
After several days of relative calm, tensions flared again this week when Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired ballistic missiles at US military bases across the region, prompting retaliatory strikes by Washington and reviving fears of a wider regional war.
Trump maintained his hard-line stance, insisting that American forces remain fully prepared to launch attacks if diplomacy fails. His latest remarks mark a sharp shift from Friday, when he warned that Iran would continue to face overwhelming military pressure until it agreed to negotiations.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to confirm reports of an impending US-Israeli military operation but accused Tehran of violating a memorandum of understanding signed in June that had been intended to lay the foundation for ending the conflict.
Tehran also issued stern warning, saying any attacks on its energy infrastructure would trigger strikes against critical American and Israeli facilities across the region. Iranian officials dismissed reports of planned US-Israeli attacks as reckless, claiming Tehran has already prepared an extensive retaliation strategy should military action resume.
