Trump Reportedly Halts Iran Attack Plans After 13 Days Amid Diplomacy Push

U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly halted plans for a retaliatory strike against Iran after 13 consecutive days of targeting energy facilities and other locations in the country, according to reports from The New York Times and Axios.

The decision stemmed from concerns that escalating the conflict could significantly deplete the stock of Patriot missile interceptors and other Pentagon air defense munitions in the Middle East. Trump also faced the risk of a wider war in the region, strained relations with fragile Gulf allies, and further disruption to the global economy.

According to The New York Times, the decision was made following a meeting on Friday between Trump, his senior advisors, and Cabinet members. Iran stated it had not recorded any U.S. attacks since Saturday, following nearly two weeks of continuous strikes. Axios reported that Trump's decision reflected a willingness to allow more room for diplomacy, acknowledging the current U.S. attack levels had reached their effectiveness limit without returning to large-scale combat operations.

Sources indicated the U.S. military had prepared plans for potential large-scale combat operations. Trump had reportedly approved military-proposed attack plans each evening for the past two weeks, with operations commencing hours later. However, on Friday, he reportedly received the same plan for the 14th day of attacks but did not give approval, instead directing the military not to proceed.

Trump later told reporters he still had options to continue or escalate attacks, including destroying everything Iran possessed. However, he described a "smarter" strategy as reaching an agreement with Iran. "We are talking to them now. I think they are getting serious. We are fully prepared to go, but we are still talking to them," Trump said. Israeli military and cabinet officials reportedly lacked full clarity on U.S. actions, preparing for a major bombing campaign and maintaining a high alert level. They were informed on Friday night that Trump had not approved any additional attacks.

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We are talking to them now. I think they are getting serious. We are fully prepared to go, but we are still talking to them.