Trump Delays Iran Strike, Cites Middle East Leaders

2026-05-19

U.S. President Donald Trump said on his social media on the 18th that he would postpone the Iran strike scheduled for the 19th. He explained that leaders from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had asked him to hold off, saying there was room for an agreement acceptable to the United States and Middle Eastern countries.

Emphasizes talks will continue

Trump stressed that "serious negotiations" were underway and again argued that any agreement should include a ban on Iran possessing nuclear weapons. If no deal is reached, he said he had instructed officials to be ready to carry out a full-scale and major attack on Iran without warning.

Pressure on Iran continues

After the social media post, he told reporters that he had informed Israel of the decision to delay the attack. He said, "If there is an agreement that keeps nuclear weapons out of Iran's hands, we would be satisfied too," and added, "There were times when things did not work out, but this time is different." Iranian media reported on the 18th that Iran had sent a new proposal to the United States through mediator Pakistan. According to Reuters, the proposal contains 14 items, and the nuclear issue, which has been a major sticking point in talks with the United States, has been pushed to future discussions. Trump has repeatedly said that a "deal with Iran is close," but Iran has not shown any willingness to make major concessions to the United States on the nuclear issue. With no breakthrough in sight, Trump has repeatedly alternated between considering and calling off another strike. Even on the 18th, before posting on social media, he told the New York Post, "They (Iran) know what's going to happen," hinting at another attack.

Nuclear issue delayed

The United States is demanding that Iran halt its nuclear program and remove enriched uranium. Iran, meanwhile, has sought to preserve its uranium enrichment technology and has argued that the fighting should be ended first, with the nuclear issue dealt with later.

Iran is increasing its effective control over the Strait of Hormuz, which directly affects oil prices, to pressure Trump. The "Persian Gulf Strait Authority," an organization established to manage the Strait of Hormuz, opened an X (formerly Twitter) account on the same day.

Iran had also proposed postponing the nuclear issue a week earlier, but Trump dismissed it as "trash." While Iran remains defiant, the United States is gradually making concessions. On the 15th, Trump said that a 20-year period for Iran to halt nuclear development would be enough, signaling his willingness to accept time-limited negotiations. Previously, he had sought an "indefinite" suspension.

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