President Donald J. Trump announced he called off a planned large-scale U.S. strike on Iran after the "perimeters of a deal" were reportedly agreed, saying the pause was requested by Iran and other regional actors. He said the arrangement would include the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to what he described as Iran's nuclear threat, while warning the U.S. remains "locked and loaded" if talks fail. The pause follows a 60-day ceasefire that collapsed after Iran struck a Cyprus-flagged ship, prompting U.S. retaliatory strikes. Officials caution that military action could resume quickly if a final agreement is not reached.
Trump Calls Off Planned Strike On Iran After 'Perimeters Of A Deal' — Warns U.S. Remains 'Locked And Loaded'
(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald J. Trump announced on Saturday evening that he has called off a planned large-scale U.S. military strike on Iran after the "perimeters of a deal" were reportedly agreed to. He described the strikes as potentially among the most severe American attacks since World War II, but said Iran and other Middle Eastern governments asked the United States to pause while negotiators try to finalize a framework.
Mr. Trump warned that the United States remains "locked and loaded and ready to go" if those talks collapse, emphasizing that military options would remain on the table.
What the Agreement Would Include
According to Mr. Trump, the reported arrangement would include two central elements: the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to what he described as "Iran's nuclear threat." He framed the pause as temporary and conditional on reaching a rapid, comprehensive deal.
"The U.S.A. is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II. Despite this, we have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to.
This would include the Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran's nuclear threat. Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL.
The Country of Israel joins me in this commitment. Get to work, everybody, and get it DONE. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP"
Context And Recent Tensions
The announcement followed public comments the previous day in which Mr. Trump said the U.S. intended to intensify strikes on Iran. At a briefing from Camp David he said, "We will be hitting them very hard," and added, "And you know at some point, they're going to say, 'We just can't take it anymore.'" In an earlier interview, he told Fox News the U.S. was prepared to "beat the f*cking sh*t" out of Iran — a profanity-censored quote commonly reported in news outlets.
Saturday's pause comes after a 60-day ceasefire reached in mid-June broke down. The truce unraveled after Iran struck a Cyprus-flagged vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting nearly two weeks of U.S. retaliatory strikes. U.S. officials have said a major assault is being deferred while negotiators try to finalize terms, but they stress military action could resume quickly if a final agreement is not secured.
Official Reactions
Mr. Trump said Israel had joined the U.S. commitment to the pause. Reporting from outlets such as The Wall Street Journal has also described internal White House discussions in which Mr. Trump reportedly expressed skepticism that an interim peace deal would hold and at times privately characterized Iranian leadership as "crazy."
For now, the reported "perimeters" agreement has halted immediate large-scale strikes, but details remain limited and negotiators face a narrow window to turn the framework into a binding deal.
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