President Trump announced Thursday he has called off planned military strikes on Iran, citing progress in discussions with Tehran’s leadership hours after threatening to hit the country “VERY HARD TONIGHT.” The reversal marks the latest in a pattern of escalating threats followed by last-minute cancellations throughout the three-month-old conflict.
Trump said the discussions “have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved,” according to his post on Truth Social. He suggested that progress had been made in talks to extend a fragile ceasefire that began in early April, though he provided no details on what those discussions entailed or what terms had been agreed.
The cancellation came hours after Trump threatened to assume “total control” of Iran’s oil and gas industries, including the key Kharg Island oil terminal. Earlier Thursday morning, the U.S. had launched fresh strikes on Iranian targets, with attacks lasting into Thursday morning appearing more intense and widespread than the previous day’s exchange.
The ceasefire, mediated by Pakistan, took effect on April 8, 2026, after Trump initially threatened military action if Iran did not agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Since then, Trump has repeatedly imposed deadlines linked to threats, only to extend them when negotiations showed signs of progress. In May alone, Trump canceled planned strikes at least twice—on May 18 and May 19—citing serious negotiations with Iranian officials.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that U.S. attacks had “effectively rendered the ceasefire … meaningless,” though the country has not formally abandoned it. The U.S. and Iran have traded strikes twice this week, pushing the Middle East closer to the resumption of full-scale war, with Iran firing at Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan in retaliation for American attacks.
Trump has said repeatedly over recent weeks that a deal with Iran is close, though there has been no sign of a breakthrough. The president told Congress in May that the ceasefire extended a 60-day deadline he had set for reaching a permanent agreement. Negotiations have continued indirectly through intermediaries, with both sides exchanging draft proposals since direct talks collapsed in April.
Sources
- Wall Street Journal — Trump’s announcement that Tehran’s leadership approved discussions and final points on ending the conflict
- AP News — Trump’s cancellation of strikes and citation of progress in negotiations on June 11, 2026
- Al Jazeera — Iran’s statement that U.S. attacks rendered the ceasefire meaningless
- WGBH — Trump’s pattern of repeatedly imposing deadlines linked to threats, only to extend them
- Time Magazine — Trump’s May 19 cancellation of planned strikes citing serious negotiations
- Chatham House — Details of the April 8, 2026 ceasefire agreement mediated by Pakistan
- Congress.gov — Trump’s May 1 letter to Congress on the ceasefire extending the 60-day deadline
