TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) 鈥� President said late Saturday that he would halt new planned attacks on Iran pending renewed talks to and revive stalled cargo traffic through the .
It was the latest in a pattern of announcements the U.S. president has made to first threaten massive strikes and then later call them off. The abrupt shifts have been a defining feature of the five-month conflict that has 鈥� and the announcements to date have been upended by renewed attacks days or even hours afterward.
Here is a look at some of Trump鈥檚 past major announcements about pausing strikes against Iran:
April 7
The United States and Iran to end the intense fighting that began on Feb. 28 . Trump makes the announcement less than two hours before a for Tehran to capitulate or face on bridges and power plants 鈥� strikes he said would mean 鈥渁 whole civilization will die.鈥�
April 21
Trump announces that the U.S. is with Iran a day before it was to expire. He adds that he has been asked by mediators to hold off on attacks to give Iranian leaders time to come up with additional proposals. The fragile ceasefire lasts , when the U.S. carried out strikes on Iranian tankers.
May 18
After a weekend of dire threats against Iran, on a major planned military strike because 鈥渟erious negotiations鈥� were underway. 鈥淭here seems to be a very good chance that they can work something out. If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I鈥檇 be very happy,鈥� he said. By May 27, after negotiations faltered.
June 11
After two days of back-and-forth attacks, Trump , saying the U.S. would hit Iran 鈥淰ERY HARD TONIGHT鈥� and take 鈥渢otal control鈥� of its . Then, a few hours later, Trump posts on social media that there had been a breakthrough in negotiations and called off the strikes.
June 17
Trump signs an that calls for a permanent end to hostilities and for reopening of the strait, and starts a 60-day negotiating clock to reach a final deal on the future of Iran鈥檚 nuclear program. Trump left the door open to abandoning it. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a memorandum of understanding, and if I don鈥檛 like it, we鈥檒l go back to shooting at them, dropping bombs,鈥� he said.
July 7
After Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the strait, Trump on Iran while he is in Ankara, Turkey, attending the NATO leaders’ summit. Later, he renews his threat to 鈥渏ust finish the job” on Iran after saying he believes the ceasefire is over.
July 27
Trump two weeks of intense, daily U.S. strikes on Iran to give negotiations another chance. the U.S. military had targeted key military and commercial sites as clashes continued to escalate over shipping routes. In response, Iran had launched missiles and drones across the Middle East at countries that host U.S. troops.
Aug. 1
After telling reporters the U.S. would hit Iran 鈥渧ery hard,鈥� Trump that he has canceled planned strikes, claiming Mideast allies had reached the parameters of a deal to end the war, including a reopening of the strait. 鈥淏ased on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL,鈥� Trump said. In response, Iran鈥檚 defense minister said that the country was 鈥渘either surprised nor passive鈥� following Trump鈥檚 announcement and said Iran continues to remain alert in the face of threats.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
