US President Donald Trump speaks to the press near the construction site of his proposed ballroom at the White House on May 19, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Kent Nishimura | AFP | getty images
President Donald Trump said he was “an hour away” from deciding whether to attack Iran on Tuesday, before he was convinced to postpone the strike for a few days.
“We were absolutely ready to go … it could have been happening right now,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday when asked how close he came to ordering the strike, which would have officially ended the shaky U.S.-Iran ceasefire that was nominally in place.
Trump claimed in one satya social post It was reported on Monday afternoon that he was delaying the unannounced attack previously planned for Tuesday because several Middle Eastern leaders had asked him to “pause” in light of ongoing discussions with Iran.
Before Trump’s post, there was no clear indication that the US was preparing to attack Iran on Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal reported that Gulf officials from some of the countries Trump mentioned said they were not aware About the imminent plan to attack Iran.
Trump himself said in comments later Tuesday, “I didn’t tell them.”
He said, “I never tell anyone when, but they knew we were very close.” “I’d say we were an hour away from deciding to go today.”
Then he said, “I have made the decision. So they called, they had heard that I had made the decision, and said, ‘Sir, can you give us a few more days? Because we think they are reasonable.'”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was campaigning in Kentucky on Monday against Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky.
Asked how long it would take for Iran to come to the negotiating table, Trump said it could take two or three days, or maybe until Sunday or early next week. “For a limited time, because we can’t let them have nuclear weapons,” he said.
The war appears to have been locked in an uneasy stalemate for several weeks, as a ceasefire remains active but both sides continue to struggle for control of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil shipping.
Trump has repeatedly threatened further military action against Iran, only to delay his set deadline.
The war, which began on Feb. 28 and has lasted far longer than the Trump administration’s initial four to six-week timeline, is being viewed negatively by most Americans, according to recent polls.
A New York Times-Siena Poll The report released Monday found that 31% of registered U.S. voters approve of how Trump has handled the Iran war, while 65% disapprove, with the majority of those who disapprove saying they “strongly disapprove.”
Trump said Tuesday that he believes people who understand the administration’s goals support the campaign.
He said, “Everyone tells me it’s unpopular, but I think it’s very popular when they hear it has to do with nuclear weapons, weapons that could take out Los Angeles, take out major cities.”
He said, “When we explain it to people – I don’t really have enough time to explain it to people, I’m too busy getting it done. When they understand, I think it’s obviously very popular.” “But whether it’s popular or not, I have to do it.”