Trump Reportedly Weighs Holding Off New Iran Strikes Unless Provoked

US President Donald Trump has indicated to senior advisers that he may hold off on resuming military strikes against Iran, provided that Tehran or its Houthi allies in Yemen refrain from provoking American interests, Reuters reported. The move comes despite repeated warnings from Trump that he would order attacks if Iran endangered US personnel or assets.

About a week ago, Trump confirmed that US forces had carried out what he described as "minor strikes" on Iranian defense facilities located on Qeshm island in the Strait of Hormuz. In subsequent interviews, the president said he could act "without hesitation" to protect US allies and vessels, but also suggested that he was delaying further action at the request of regional partners. "I could end it immediately, but at the request of the nations that I am looking to protect, we are doing it a little bit longer way, a bit more civilly," Trump told sports journalist Stephen A. Smith.

The administration's messaging has been mixed. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Federalist Society on Friday that the conflict was "militarily effectively over," arguing that economic pressure has so weakened Iran that military action is unnecessary. "The economic pain that we are inflicting on that regime is so great that there's no need for military action because we've weakened them so much," Rubio said. "But I think victory is ensuring that they never have a nuclear weapon."

The United States maintains a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil shipments, which has severely constrained Iran's economy and contributed to soaring inflation there. On-and-off negotiations conducted through Qatari and other intermediaries have yet to produce a breakthrough.

Trump has sent conflicting signals about the diplomatic track in recent days. On Wednesday he declared that "we won" the war, but in a Truth Social post on Thursday he wrote that the US no longer needed a deal with Iran. "We don't need a deal with Iran. Those days have long since passed," he said. "We've got their money, Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we've got their Strait!"