Trending Now - Trump Reveals He Nearly Ordered Iran Strike, Then Hesitated

WHO:

CNN - President Trump

CNN - Vice President JD Vance

CNN - Secretary of State Marco Rubio

CNN - CIA Director John Ratcliffe

CNN - Special envoy Steve Witkoff

CNN - Leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates

NY Post - President Trump

WHAT:

CNN - Trump was “an hour away” from ordering military strikes on Iran.

CNN - Trump announced on social media that he would allow more time for diplomacy.

CNN - Trump stated, “They’re loaded to the brim,” referring to US warships in the region.

CNN - Trump indicated a new timeline for Tehran to produce an acceptable deal, suggesting “two or three days, maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, something, maybe early next week.”

CNN - Military options against Iran have been under discussion for at least the past week.

CNN - The US military has detailed battle plans for a renewed multi-phase air campaign against Iran.

CNN - Trump had received a list of options from senior military advisers for potential strikes.

CNN - Trump’s plans to strike were halted after requests from Gulf leaders to allow for diplomatic efforts.

CNN - Trump acknowledged the risk of Iranian retaliation, stating, “They still have a little capacity.”

CNN - The operation against Iran is expected to be renamed from Operation Epic Fury to Operation Sledgehammer.

WHERE:

CNN - The discussions regarding military action took place at Trump’s riverside golf club in Virginia.

CNN - The Gulf nations involved include Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

WHEN:

CNN - Trump mentioned a potential new deadline for negotiations could be “Friday, Saturday, Sunday, something, maybe early next week.”

CNN - The ceasefire was announced in early April and then extended.

WHY:

CNN - Gulf leaders urged Trump to hold off on military action to avoid Iranian retaliation against their nations.

CNN - Trump’s decision to back away from strikes reflects his preference for a diplomatic resolution over military action.

HOW:

CNN - Trump prepared to give final authorization for strikes but was influenced by calls from Gulf leaders.

CNN - The military plans against Iran are available to commanders and could be executed at any time.

(UPDATED May 19, 2026 23:23 UTC)

President Trump was reportedly just an hour away from ordering military strikes on Iran but decided to hold off after receiving requests from Gulf leaders to allow for more diplomatic efforts. He announced on social media that he would give Tehran a new timeline for negotiations, suggesting that a deal could be reached in "two or three days," possibly by the weekend or early next week. The discussions about military action took place at Trump's golf club in Virginia, where he acknowledged the risks of Iranian retaliation while also revealing that the military has detailed plans ready for a renewed air campaign against Iran, which is expected to be renamed from Operation Epic Fury to Operation Sledgehammer.