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4 times Trump 'called off' Iran strikes to keep negotiations alive
While Trump has often said Tehran is 'desperate' for talks, Iran has denied these claims on multiple occasions, stating they are ready to continue the war for 'as long as needed'
- PUBLISHED: Sun 2 Aug 2026, 2:39 PM
[Editor's Note: For the latest updates on the US-Iran war since a 14-point deal was signed on June 17, follow the Khaleej Times live blog.]
On August 2, US President Donald Trump claimed he had called off strikes at the request of Iran and Middle East leaders, in a post on Truth Social.
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Since the beginning of the US-Israel-Iran war, the US President has constantly claimed that the goal of the war is for Iran to not have a nuclear weapon, and that the US has achieved military superiority over Iran.
Meanwhile, Tehran has maintained that the Iranian military stands ready to respond to any attack, and frequently warned of "decisive, powerful" strikes in the region in response to the US.
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While Trump has often said Tehran is 'desperate' for talks and a deal, Iranian officials have denied these claims on multiple occasions, stating that the country stands ready to continue the war for 'as long as necessary'.
Since February 28, Trump has claimed numerous times that he cancelled or paused attacks in order to be able to reach a deal with Iran. Take a look at the major instances, here:
March 23
On March 21, as US and Iran were in the throes of conflict, Trump threatened to obliterate Iranian power plants if Tehran failed to "fully open" the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping within 48 hours.
The Iranians responded with a similar threat of striking Israeli and regional power plants and desalination plants.
At the time, these statements represented the risk of a significant escalation, as both sides were stating that civilian infrastructure, on which millions rely for daily needs, would come under fire.
However, just 2 days after he threatened the Iran strikes, the US President said that the two nations had "good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East."
Following these talks, he instructed the US Department of War to postpone strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five-day period, he added.
Trump claimed that the move came amid "in-depth, detailed, and constructive conversations," which will continue that week.
June 11
Four days before the US-Iran peace deal was announced, Trump said he cancelled "scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening." This came hours after threatening bombings and a desire to "take" oil export hub Kharg Island.
At the time, Trump claimed that discussions had been brought to the "highest level of Iranian leadership and approved". He also said "final points" have been approved by the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others.
However, he said that the naval blockade would "remain in full force" until the deal was finalised.
July 24
The Pentagon abruptly called off a two-week bombing campaign, late on July 24, with no strikes reported the following weekend. In a press conference that day, Trump had said Iran is getting "more and more serious [in negotiations] as the days go by, for maybe the obvious reason."
When asked by a reporter what the "exit strategy" for Iran was, Trump responded with two options:
Military exit: "We just keep going just the way we are, and we can even make it a heavier dose, just knocking out everything they have".
Making a deal: It would be a "smarter strategy", Trump said. "They want to make a deal; I just don't think they're ready yet, but they do want to make a deal."
The US ambassador to the United Nations told Fox News on July 26 that Trump is giving Iran talks "some space."
"He's giving talks some space, he's giving it a little bit of room," Mike Waltz told the broadcaster on Sunday.
August 2
In his latest statement, Trump claimed he was "asked by Iran and other Middle Eastern countries" to hold off any attack, in the hope that a deal could be reached quickly. However, Iran's Mehr news agency, citing military officials, denied Trump's claim that the Islamic republic asked the US to refrain from conducting new strikes.
Trump said the deal would include "the immediate, complete and total" opening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to Iran's nuclear threat, the US President said in a post on Truth Social.
Trump said he agreed to cancel the attack for the "future benefit of the world and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran".
Israel "joins me in this commitment," Trump wrote, although Israel did not immediately make a public statement on the issue. Iran warned the US this weekend against any “adventurous action” and said it would retaliate decisively if American forces followed through on Trump's threats of fresh attacks on Iranian targets.
Poojaraj Maniyeri is a Digital Journalist who loves turning everyday conversations into news stories. She is also a typical bookworm, and brings a novel with her everywhere she goes.