US President Donald Trump said he postponed a military strike on Iran that was scheduled for Tuesday because “serious negotiations” are underway.
Trump’s announcement came in a social media post on Monday as he threatened that the clock was ticking for Iran to reach an agreement or fighting would be renewed after a fragile ceasefire.
The president did not provide details about the planned attack, but said he had instructed the US military “to be prepared to move forward with a full, large-scale attack on Iran, at any moment, in the event that an acceptable agreement is not reached.”
Trump had not previously revealed that he was planning a strike on May 19, but he warned over the weekend: “For Iran, the clock is ticking, and they better act fast, or they won’t have anything left.”
Trump has been threatening for weeks that the ceasefire reached in mid-April could end if Iran does not reach an agreement, with the criteria for reaching such an agreement changing.
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Trump said in his social media post that he canceled the planned strike at the request of allies in the Middle East, including the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran and then backed away from them.
In recent days, Trump also spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Chinese President Xi Jinping about the Iran war.
& Edition 2026 The Canadian Press
