Trump halts US military strikes on day 13 to allow room for diplomacy with Iran: Report

As reported by Axios, Trump's order to hold fire came several hours after an Omani delegation arrived in Tehran for negotiations focused on reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Citing two regional sources familiar with the discussions, Axios reported that progress has been made and an agreement between Oman and Iran could be finalised over the weekend. President Trump would then face the decision of whether to accept the proposed deal.

While the US military continues to prepare contingency plans for potential major combat operations, Trump has not issued orders to move in that direction. However, military forces remain prepared to mobilise on short notice if the president orders a return to strikes. The White House did not respond to requests for comment regarding the directive, Axios reported.

Every afternoon over the preceding two weeks, military officials presented strike plans that Trump approved for execution within hours. On Friday, despite receiving a similar plan, Trump withheld authorisation and instructed the military not to proceed, Axios reported.

Addressing reporters at the White House shortly after issuing the directive, Axios reported that Trump maintained that the US retains the ability to escalate attacks, including "knocking out everything they have." But he made clear that he thinks the "smarter strategy" is to "make a deal" with Iran.

"We're talking to [the Iranians] right now. I think they're getting more and more serious as the days go by. We're locked and loaded and ready to go, but we're talking to them," Trump stated.

Later Friday evening during remarks at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, Trump adopted a more guarded tone, noting that while he did not believe Iran was ready to make a deal at the moment, he was willing to listen, Axios reported.

The sudden pause caught regional allies off guard.

According to Axios, the Israeli security cabinet and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had anticipated another round of US strikes on Friday and actively prepared for a massive bombing offensive that could trigger retaliatory attacks against Israel.

Without a full picture of intended US actions, Israeli forces maintained high alert throughout the day. Israeli officials were formally notified on Friday night that Trump had chosen not to approve further strikes, Axios reported.

Earlier, Iranian Health Ministry spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour confirmed the pause via a post on X, stating, "Iran had a peaceful night."

Meanwhile, United States Central Command (CENTCOM) did not immediately state the operational pause, breaking its previous daily routine of announcing fresh offensive actions over the prior 13 days.

However, regional instability remains acute following the sharp escalation surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.Iranian Health Ministry spokesperson. (ANI)