President Trump assembled his top national security officials Monday evening to review military options against Iran, hours after announcing he was halting planned attacks set for Tuesday, according to two U.S. officials.
The sudden reversal raised questions about Trump's next move. He told reporters Monday that Iran had roughly two to three days, possibly through the weekend, to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough before military action could resume.
Trump had claimed beforehand that strikes were imminent, saying Tuesday he was "an hour away" from ordering them. Yet U.S. officials disclosed that he had never actually decided to attack before making his pause announcement. The reversal caught some officials off guard, with several admitting confusion about the administration's direction.
The Monday evening meeting included Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, White House envoy Steve Witkoff, and other senior officials. Discussion centered on diplomatic progress, current Iranian proposals, and various strike scenarios.
Gulf leaders played a significant role in the pause. Multiple regional leaders had privately urged Trump to step back from immediate military action, citing concerns that Iranian retaliation could target their oil infrastructure and facilities. Those same leaders pushed the administration to give negotiations more runway.
The U.S. and Iran remain far apart on nuclear matters. A senior American official confirmed that Iran's latest counter-proposal lacked meaningful movement on U.S. demands. Mediators are still working to persuade Iranian negotiators to offer more flexible terms.
Despite Trump's assertion that "serious negotiations" are underway, the path forward remains murky. Some officials believe Trump may defer a decision again if talks stall. Others who have spoken with the president recently detected what one source described as a determination to "crack their head open to get them to move in the negotiations."
Trump offered no final verdict. "We may have to give Iran another big hit. I am not sure yet. You will know soon," he said.
Author James Rodriguez: "Trump's military-option briefing signals he's far from done with Iran, despite the diplomatic pause."
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