Trump cancels Iran strike, citing requests for talks and deal conditions

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Saturday he had rescinded orders for a large-scale airstrike against Iran, stating the attack was canceled at the request of Middle Eastern nations and because Iran had agreed to negotiate on terms he deemed acceptable.

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I have agreed to terminate the attack in order to have these negotiations continue.

Trump asserted on social media that Iran, along with other Middle Eastern countries, had requested a delay in the attack. He claimed this pause was contingent on Iran agreeing to key conditions, which he specified as the "immediate and full opening of the Strait of Hormuz" and an end to its "nuclear threat." Trump also stated that Israel would uphold this commitment alongside the U.S.

This sudden reversal came just a day after Trump had signaled a much more aggressive posture. During a cabinet meeting at Camp David on Friday, he reportedly declared, "We will be hitting Iran in such a way, in such a way that you won't believe... At a certain point, they'll say, 'I can't take it anymore.'" He had previously indicated that the U.S. was prepared to launch an attack using "unprecedented military terror and power."

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Iran, and I want to be clear, was saying they wanted to negotiate. And I said, 'Okay, we'll negotiate.' But they have to help us with the deal.

The abrupt cancellation has led to renewed discussion about Trump's decision-making process. Some observers predict it will reignite debates about his perceived tendency to back down from confrontation, with critics potentially labeling it another instance of 'TACO', an acronym sometimes used to suggest Trump always backs down.

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We will be hitting Iran in such a way, in such a way that you won't believe... At a certain point, they'll say, 'I can't take it anymore.'