Donald Trump told Pete Hegseth to prepare a ‘full, large scale assault’ of Iran. Then he revealed who actually stopped him

President Donald Trump has revealed that he was planning to launch a “full, large scale assault” on Iran, but canceled the attack after Arab leaders asked him to hold off. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump also disclosed who exactly stopped him from going ahead with the operation.

According to Mediate, the post claims that Trump was asked to pause the planned military attack by the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. These leaders believed that serious negotiations were already underway and that a deal acceptable to the United States and other countries in the Middle East could be reached.

Trump had previously warned Iran on multiple occasions that it must agree to his terms for a peace deal or face serious consequences. Just last Sunday, Trump posted: “For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!”

Arab leaders’ request has paused Trump’s military plans, but the pressure on Iran is still very much alive

In his Truth Social post, Trump revealed that he had instructed his Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Daniel Caine, to be ready to launch a full-scale assault on Iran at a moment’s notice if an acceptable deal was not reached. This latest move comes at a time when Trump’s approval rating has been taking hits over his handling of foreign policy decisions.

The United States and Iran agreed to a ceasefire in early April, which was initially meant to last only two weeks but has now held for over a month, despite occasional flare-ups. However, progress in negotiations does not appear to be going smoothly.

According to Axios reporter Barak Ravid, the U.S. had rejected Iran’s latest offer. A senior U.S. official told Ravid: “We are really not making a lot of progress. We are at a very serious place today. The pressure is on them [the Iranians] to be responsive in the right way.”

The Arab leaders’ intervention appears to have slowed down Trump’s plans for now, but the situation remains tense. Trump’s willingness to order a military strike and his direct instruction to top military officials to remain prepared make clear that a strike is still very much on the table. 

Meanwhile, back home, Trump has also been making major changes to the White House as part of his ongoing renovation plans. Whether the ongoing talks will lead to a lasting agreement or simply delay further escalation remains to be seen, as the Middle East situation continues to be highly unpredictable.