Trump Halts Planned Strike on Iran, Opens Door to New Peace Talks

U.S. President Donald Trump said he decided to postpone a planned strike on Iran after leaders from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates urged him to delay because “serious negotiations are underway.” The announcement was made on Truth Social on Monday (May 18).

Earlier, Trump had warned Iran that “time is running out” following drone strikes targeting the UAE and Saudi Arabia. However, in a subsequent post, he said he had instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine, and the U.S. military not to proceed with the strike scheduled for Tuesday (May 19). He also ordered forces to “be ready to launch a comprehensive, large-scale attack on Iran at any moment if an acceptable deal is not reached.”

The same day, Iran sent a revised 14-point peace plan to end the war, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran’s response to a previous U.S. proposal had been “transmitted to the U.S. side through Pakistani mediators.”

Iran’s demands in the new plan include the release of frozen overseas assets and the lifting of sanctions. Tehran has also demanded compensation for damages from U.S. and Israeli attacks, an end to the naval blockade of Iranian ports, and a cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon.

A key sticking point between the two sides is Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium. Iran is believed to hold approximately 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%, whereas the 90% threshold is needed to produce nuclear weapons. The U.S. has demanded that Iran hand over this uranium, but Tehran is only willing to consider transferring it to a third party. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed discussions with Russian officials about storing uranium in Russia, and said Iran could consider the proposal at “an appropriate time.”

Another point of contention is the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway connecting Gulf oil producers to the open ocean. Since early March, Iran has restricted ship traffic through the strait. In earlier proposals, Iran had mentioned charging fees for ships wishing to pass. The U.S. has repeatedly rejected this possibility and imposed a naval blockade on vessels entering and leaving Iranian ports since April.

Although a temporary ceasefire began on April 8, six weeks after the war erupted, and armed clashes have largely subsided, a lasting peace deal has yet to be reached. Trump called the ceasefire “on life support” last week. Meanwhile, recent drone strikes on the UAE and Saudi Arabia have raised fears of a new military escalation in the Gulf as peace talks drag on.