US President Donald Trump has ordered a halt to new attacks against Iran, bringing the 13-day-long air operation to a halt. The move follows the visit of an Omani delegation to Tehran, where an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz is expected.
US President Donald Trump on Friday directed the US military to stop new attacks against Iran, ending a 13-day streak of daily air strikes. Trump’s order came hours after an Omani delegation arrived in Tehran for talks on reopening the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported.
Axios, citing two regional sources familiar with the discussions, reported that talks have made progress and an agreement between Oman and Iran could be reached by the end of the week. After this, President Trump will have to decide whether he accepts the proposed deal or not.
Although the US military continues to prepare contingency plans for possible major military operations, Trump has not given any orders to move in that direction. Nevertheless, military forces are ready to mobilize in short order if the President orders a return to attacks.
Axios reported that the White House did not respond to requests for comment regarding the directive. Every afternoon for the past two weeks, military officials presented a strike plan, which Trump approved within a few hours. Despite receiving a similar plan on Friday, Trump withheld approval and directed the military not to move forward, Axios reported.
Trump said- making a deal is a ‘smart strategy’
Addressing reporters at the White House shortly after issuing the directive, Trump said the US has the ability to escalate attacks, including “eliminating whatever they have,” Axios reported. But he also made clear that he considered “making a deal” with Iran a “smart strategy.”
Trump said, “We [ईरानियों] talking to. I think they are becoming more serious day by day. “We are fully prepared, but we are talking to them.”
Trump took a more cautious stance during his address at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner later Friday evening, Axios reported. He said that although he does not think Iran is ready to make a deal at this time, he is willing to listen.
Ally Israel surprised by the decision
The sudden stop shocked regional allies. According to Axios, the Israeli Security Cabinet and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) expected another round of US strikes on Friday and were actively preparing for a major bombing campaign that could provoke retaliatory attacks against Israel.
Without full knowledge of America’s intentions, Israeli forces remained on high alert throughout the day. Israeli officials were formally informed Friday night that Trump had decided not to approve further strikes, Axios reported.
Earlier, Iranian Health Ministry spokesman Hossein Karmanpour confirmed the pause in a post on Twitter, saying, “Iran had a peaceful night.”
Meanwhile, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) did not immediately announce an operational pause, breaking its previous daily routine of announcing new offensive actions for the past 13 days. However, regional instability still persists following increased tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Health Ministry spokesperson. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)