Trump Halts Iran Strikes After 13 Days of Daily Attacks — SkimNews
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- Trump directed the U.S. military not to conduct strikes on Iran Friday, breaking a 13-day streak of daily attacks; he told reporters the 'smarter strategy' is to 'make a deal' and that the U.S. is 'locked and loaded and ready to go' but is actively talking to Iran.
- At the White House Correspondents' Association dinner later Friday, Trump said Iran is not ready to make a deal at the moment but he is 'willing to listen.'
- The halt came hours after an Omani delegation arrived in Tehran to negotiate a new arrangement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz; two regional sources said progress has been made and an agreement could be reached over the weekend, with Trump then deciding whether to accept it.
- The Israeli security cabinet and IDF expected another round of U.S. strikes Friday and prepared for a massive U.S. attack that could trigger a retaliatory Iranian attack on Israel — they were notified Friday night that Trump did not approve more strikes.
- The U.S. military is still preparing plans for a possible return to major combat operations and can mobilize on relatively short notice if Trump orders strikes to resume; sources said it's unclear if the Friday pause is a one-off or will continue.
Why it matters: Trump's halt ends a 13-day streak of daily Iran strikes and opens a window for Oman-mediated talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz; with the U.S. military still preparing major combat operations and Israel on high alert for retaliation, Trump retains an explicit option to resume or escalate attacks at any moment.
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