Despite the pause, President Donald Trump warned that the US military remains prepared to launch a ‘full, large-scale assault’ on Iran if talks fail
President Donald Trump said Monday that he temporarily halted a planned US military strike on Iran after leaders from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates urged him to give diplomacy more time.
Despite the pause, Trump warned that the US military remains prepared to launch a “full, large-scale assault” if talks fail. He said any future agreement must stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
Iranian leaders insist their missile program, nuclear stockpile, and control of the Strait of Hormuz are essential for survival and refuse to surrender under pressure.
Three months after US and Israeli attacks on Iran, tensions remain dangerously high as neither Washington nor Tehran has shown signs of backing down.
The US blockade and Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz have deepened the standoff and increased fears of another war.
Hormuz, a strategic waterway, carries nearly 20% of the world’s oil and gas supplies. Continued shipping restrictions in it have disrupted energy markets and pushed fuel prices higher worldwide.