President Donald J. Trump said Tuesday he postponed a military strike on Iran at the last minute during a televised press briefing in Washington, D.C.
The decision to halt the attack comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, where a direct confrontation between the U.S. and Iran could trigger a broader regional war.
Trump said the military was prepared for the operation and that the strike would have occurred had he not intervened. "I was an hour away. We were all set to go — it would've been happening right now," Trump said [1]. The president said the strike was delayed to prevent further escalation in the region [2].
During the briefing, Trump characterized Iran as a long-standing aggressor. He said Iran has been the bully of the Middle East for 47 years [1]. He said the nation was nasty and very dangerous, adding that they wanted a nuclear weapon [1].
Despite the decision to postpone, Trump suggested that public sentiment supports a more aggressive stance. "The war is very popular with the American people," Trump said [3].
While the president said the strike was halted, other reports have indicated ongoing volatility in the region. Some accounts mentioned Israeli strikes and subsequent Iranian retaliation, though the president said his specific planned strike had not been carried out [4]. Other reports suggest that while the immediate attack was postponed, the U.S. may still consider future actions if a deal with Tehran is not reached [5].
“"I was an hour away. We were all set to go — it would've been happening right now."”
This announcement highlights the volatile nature of U.S. foreign policy toward Iran, where the threat of military action is used as a diplomatic lever. By publicly stating he was minutes away from an attack, the president signals military readiness and resolve while simultaneously maintaining a window for potential negotiations or a peace deal to avoid a full-scale conflict.
