President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. military not to carry out new strikes in Iran on Friday, halting a run of daily attacks and giving diplomacy a narrow opening as Oman pushed talks in Tehran over the Strait of Hormuz, according to two people familiar with the decision, Axios reported citing unidentified sources.
The order came after 13 consecutive days in which Trump had approved military strike plans submitted by commanders, the sources said. On Friday, the president received a similar plan but did not authorize it.
Trump told reporters at the White House that he still had the option of continuing or escalating attacks, including what he described as “knocking out everything they have.” But he also said talks were his preferred route.
“We’re talking to [the Iranians] right now. I think they’re getting more and more serious as the days go by. We’re locked and loaded and ready to go, but we’re talking to them,” Trump said.
Later Friday, at the White House Correspondents Association dinner, Trump said he did not think Iran was ready to make a deal at that moment, “but I’m willing to listen.”
The diplomatic track centered on an Omani delegation that arrived in Tehran on Friday for talks on a new arrangement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reported. Two regional sources with knowledge of the negotiations said progress had been made and a deal could be reached over the weekend.
