President Donald Trump said he was “an hour away” from ordering new strikes on Iran, but held off after Persian Gulf allies urged him to pause, as the shaky ceasefire and stop-and-start talks leave the region on edge.
Mr. Trump said Tuesday he would give negotiations a “limited period of time” to keep moving, suggesting two or three days, after Gulf leaders told him there was progress in Pakistan-brokered discussions toward a broader deal.
He made the comments while speaking to reporters at the White House, where he also argued the conflict has more public backing than polls suggest.
“Everyone tells me it’s unpopular, but I think it’s very popular,” he said. He added that support rises when he explains his core argument for the war: stopping Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon that could potentially strike Los Angeles or other major U.S. cities.
“I tell you what, when we explain it to people, I don’t really have enough time to explain to people,” he said. “I’m too busy getting it done.”
Iran denies it is trying to build a nuclear weapon. Mr. Trump has previously argued that a round of U.S.-Israeli airstrikes in June 2025 had “obliterated” the Iranian nuclear program.
The back-and-forth came after Iran said it had conveyed another amended set of terms for a potential peace deal. Iran also said the U.S., not Iran, had requested a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, tensions continued to spill beyond Iran. Israel warned more people in southern Lebanon to evacuate their villages ahead of strikes, and Lebanese officials say the war between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah, which has raged despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, has killed more than 3,000 people.
U.S. Central Command said Tuesday that U.S. forces have redirected 88 commercial vessels since it began blockading Iranian ports and ships associated with the Islamic Republic, a figure that has climbed since Monday. CENTCOM also said U.S. forces disabled four vessels “to ensure total compliance” since the start of the blockade on April 13.
The maritime pressure campaign and Iran’s effective chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz have snarled vital shipping lanes and pushed energy prices higher, adding to the urgency behind the latest round of talks.
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