Breaking: Trump Aborts Attack on Iran This Tuesday, 3 Leaders Urge Restraint

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – US President Donald Trump announced at short notice that he has cancelled plans to attack Iran on Tuesday. The decision was taken after the leaders of three regional powers in the Middle East pressed him to refrain from such military action.

Citing CNBC International, Trump conveyed the announcement via a post on his social media platform Truth Social. He said he had given direct instructions to the highest echelons of the US military to cancel the airstrike in response to a special diplomatic request from his close Middle East allies.

Trump explained that the decision to delay is to honour the direct requests from the Arab leaders. They are Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

“I have informed the U.S. military leaders that we WILL NOT carry out the scheduled attack on Iran tomorrow in light of the request from the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Mohammed bin Salman, and Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, cited on Tuesday (19/5/2026).

Before the post, there were no clear indications that the US was preparing to strike Iran on Tuesday, which would have jeopardised the remains of a ceasefire agreement between the two nations. However, in a separate interview with the New York Post on Monday morning, Trump had hinted that Tehran already knew what was coming, though he declined to provide further details.

Trump had previously considered continuing active military action after Tehran’s response to a peace deal negotiation was deemed inadequate. Speaking at a White House event on Monday afternoon, the president confirmed that the US military is actually ready to engage in operations against Iran.

Trump disclosed that the order to pause is temporary. He said he would monitor the negotiation process as it progressed.

“We are preparing to carry out a very large attack tomorrow. I am delaying it for a while, hopefully perhaps forever, but possibly for a short period because we have had very serious discussions with Iran, and we will see what comes of it,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

Trump also added that the military delay was for a very short deadline. He stressed the absolute condition that Iran must meet in order to halt the escalation in weapons development entirely.

“I have been asked by many countries to postpone a mass attack on Iran for two or three days, a very short time, because they think they are close to reaching an agreement,” he explained.

“If Iran is satisfied with an agreement in which they do not obtain nuclear weapons, we may also be satisfied,” he added.

In his post on social media on Monday, Trump claimed that the three regional leaders urged the delay because they saw a potential breakthrough in the ongoing negotiations. The Arab leaders view the peace agreement to be reached as beneficial to all parties involved in the geopolitical conflict.

Trump wrote of his high expectations for the draft agreement being crafted by his partners. “Negotiations are now seriously underway, and in their view, as Great Leaders and Allies, an agreement will be reached that will be very acceptable to the United States, as well as all Middle Eastern countries and beyond. Most importantly, the agreement will include NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN!” he asserted.

Although the attack has been cancelled for Tuesday, the US President still ordered Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen Dan Cain to remain on high alert. He instructed his forces to move straight to full-scale attack without delay if the peace draft stalls.

Amid Washington’s tense situation, Hegseth reportedly travelled to Kentucky on Monday to attend a political event with Republican House candidates challenging incumbent Thomas Massie in Congress. Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the US and Iran remain deadlocked in a military and economic stalemate centred on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil shipping route blockaded by ongoing actions since the war began, impeding most vessels from passing.

The struggle for control of this strategic waterway has severely undermined the ceasefire that began nearly six weeks ago. Although nominally in place, field reports show the ceasefire has repeatedly been breached by clashes, with Trump last week making cutting remarks about its critical condition.

(tps/tps) Add as a preferredsource on Google [Gambas:Video CNBC]