U.S. President Donald Trump on the 1st (local time) canceled a large-scale Middle East military operation against Iran. A dramatic reversal came as the United States and Israel were preparing massive strikes targeting Iran's nuclear facilities and energy infrastructure. Trump said Iran and neighboring Arab countries asked for a hold on attacks and said they agreed to a diplomatic resolution premised on settling the core issues.
According to a roundup of major foreign media on the 1st (local time), Trump formally announced on his social media Truth Social that he would cancel the attack on Iran. Trump said, "The United States was fully prepared to strike the Islamic Republic of Iran with military terror, strength, and power unprecedented since World War II." He added, "Nevertheless, we have just received a request from Iran and other Middle Eastern countries to hold all attacks because certain terms of an agreement have been settled." He also said, "This agreement includes the immediate, complete, and full opening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to Iran's nuclear threat."
Earlier, after two U.S. service members were killed in the strike on Jordan's air base on the 17th of last month and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) hit three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz on the 28th, the United States and Israel prepared "the harshest level of retaliation." Major outlets reported that U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) was planning a sweeping air campaign over 10 to 14 days targeting Iran's missile capabilities. Iranian state media also fired back, threatening to strike oil and gas facilities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, and Israel if the United States attacked Iran. The sense of crisis rose to the point that on the 31st the U.S. government advised its citizens in the country to prepare to depart.
Amid the hair-trigger crisis, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was said to have called Trump on the 1st to urge restraint. U.S. political outlet Axios reported that Mohammed urged restraint in the use of force, saying "the entire Middle East could fall into an irreversible disaster." U.S. officials said, "The Saudi side expressed serious concerns about the large-scale strike plan and demanded a clear explanation."
Trump said that day, "For the future interests of the world and the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, we agreed to cancel the attack on the condition that we can quickly seal a transaction." He added, "The nation of Israel also joins me in this pledge. Everyone, go to work and get it done."
By saying the pullback was a decision in response to Iran's request, Trump left room for the United States to resolve the Iran issue diplomatically while maintaining military superiority. Officials said Israel likewise agreed to halt escalation, using as justification the achievements of removing the core target—the Iranian nuclear threat—and opening the Strait of Hormuz.
However, some noted that if the "swift negotiations" Trump demanded fall apart, military options could return to the table at any time. Earlier, in the conflict that continued for about 150 days after fighting began on Feb. 28, the memorandum of understanding (MOU) for an end to hostilities that the two countries signed in June was scrapped within weeks and armed clashes resumed.