Trump Orders US Military to Halt Strikes in Iran

President Trump directed the US military not to conduct new strikes in Iran on Friday, breaking a nearly two-week streak of daily attacks, two sources with knowledge of the decision said. The president's directive came after he approved daily strikes over the previous 13 days. It is unclear if Trump's order on Friday was a one-off or whether the lull will continue.

Trump's decision reflects both his willingness to provide more space for diplomacy and a recognition that the current level of US strikes has reached the limit of its effectiveness. The US military is still preparing plans for a possible return to major combat operations, but Trump hasn't given orders to move in that direction, the sources said. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

Every afternoon for the last two weeks, Trump has approved strike plans submitted by the military. They were conducted within hours. On Friday, Trump received a similar plan but did not give a green light. Instead, he directed the military not to conduct strikes, the sources said. Trump told reporters at the White House that he has the option of continuing strikes or even escalating them, including 'knocking out everything they have.' But he made clear that he thinks the 'smarter strategy' is to 'make a deal' with Iran.

The Israeli security cabinet and Israel Defense Force expected another round of US strikes on Friday and even prepared for a massive US attack that could trigger a retaliatory attack on Israel, Israeli officials say. The cabinet and military didn't feel they had a full picture of what the US would do, so they prepared for a major bombing offensive and remained on high alert. On Friday night, the Israelis were notified that Trump did not approve more strikes.