Trump Orders Pause in US Strikes on Iran Says Making a Deal Is ‘Smarter Strategy’/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ President Donald Trump directed the US military not to conduct new strikes against Iran on Friday, ending a 13-day sequence of daily attacks, according to Axios. The pause came as an Omani delegation held negotiations in Tehran over a possible arrangement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said the United States remained prepared to resume or escalate its campaign but described reaching an agreement with Iran as the “smarter strategy.”
Quick Look
- Trump reportedly withheld authorization for new US strikes Friday.
- The decision ended a run of attacks on 13 consecutive days.
- It remains unclear whether the pause will extend beyond one day.
- US forces can resume operations on relatively short notice.
- Military planners continue preparing options for a larger campaign.
- Trump has not ordered a return to major combat operations.
- Oman is negotiating with Iran over reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
- Regional sources said progress had been made in the talks.
- Trump would need to decide whether to accept any resulting arrangement.
- The White House did not immediately comment on the reported directive.
Deep Look
Trump Withholds Approval for Iran Strikes
President Donald Trump instructed the US military not to conduct new strikes against Iran on Friday, interrupting nearly two weeks of daily American attacks, Axios reported, citing two sources familiar with the decision.
Trump had approved military strike plans on each of the previous 13 days. The attacks were generally conducted within hours of receiving presidential authorization.
On Friday, military officials presented Trump with another proposed operation, but he declined to approve it and instead ordered forces not to strike, according to the report.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Duration of Pause Remains Unclear
It was not immediately known whether Trump’s directive applied only to Friday or marked the beginning of a longer suspension.
The reported decision did not constitute a formal ceasefire, and the US military remained capable of resuming attacks on relatively short notice.
Military officials were also continuing to develop plans for a potential return to large-scale combat operations. Trump had not ordered forces to proceed with those plans, the sources said.
The pause therefore left several options open, ranging from continued diplomatic engagement to renewed or significantly expanded military action.
Current Campaign May Have Reached Its Limits
According to Axios, Trump’s decision reflected both a willingness to allow more time for diplomacy and an assessment that the existing level of daily strikes had reached the limit of its military effectiveness.
A more consequential impact might require a return to major combat operations rather than continuing attacks at the same intensity.
Trump said shortly after issuing the directive that he retained the option of resuming operations or escalating the campaign to the point of “knocking out everything they have.”
He nevertheless suggested that negotiations offered a preferable path.
Trump Calls an Iran Agreement the “Smarter Strategy”
Trump told reporters at the White House that the United States was engaged in active discussions with Iranian officials.
“We’re talking to [the Iranians] right now. I think they’re getting more and more serious as the days go by. We’re locked and loaded and ready to go, but we’re talking to them,” Trump said.
He characterized reaching an agreement with Iran as the “smarter strategy.”
The comments combined a threat of renewed military action with an indication that Trump was prepared to give negotiations additional time.
Trump Later Expresses Doubt About Iran’s Readiness
During remarks Friday night at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, Trump offered a more skeptical assessment of Tehran’s willingness to compromise.
He said he did not believe Iran was ready to conclude an agreement at that moment, “but I’m willing to listen.”
The remarks suggested that the president’s decision to pause attacks did not reflect confidence that a diplomatic breakthrough was assured.
Omani Delegation Holds Talks in Tehran
Trump’s hold-fire order reportedly came several hours after an Omani delegation arrived in Tehran.
Oman has served as an intermediary between Washington and Tehran and was negotiating a possible arrangement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The waterway is one of the world’s most important energy corridors. Its effective closure during the conflict has disrupted shipping, stranded vessels and contributed to higher global oil and fuel prices.
Two regional sources familiar with the negotiations told Axios that the talks had made progress.
Hormuz Agreement Could Emerge Over Weekend
The regional sources said Oman and Iran could reach an agreement over the weekend.
Details of the proposed arrangement were not disclosed, including how shipping would be managed, what security guarantees might be required or whether the United States would alter its blockade of Iranian ports.
The negotiations therefore remained preliminary, despite reported progress.
US Maintains Military Pressure During Diplomacy
Trump’s decision temporarily stopped new attacks without reducing the military’s readiness to resume them.
The administration appeared to be using that readiness as leverage while Oman pursued an agreement in Tehran.
“We’re locked and loaded and ready to go, but we’re talking to them,” Trump said.
Whether the pause continues will likely depend on progress in the Omani negotiations, Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz and Trump’s assessment of the military options presented to him.
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