Iran war updates: Trump says Iran attack held off upon Gulf states’ request

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• Trump said he has agreed to wait two to three days before striking Iran because Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE said they were close to finalising a deal with Tehran.
• The US military says it “redirected” at least 85 ships since its blockade of Iranian ports began.
• Iran’s newly formed Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) said any passage through the Strait of Hormuz without its permission “will be considered illegal”.
• Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani expressed “full support” for Pakistan-led mediation efforts to end “the crisis through peaceful means”.
• Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 3,000 people since March 2, the Lebanese Health Ministry said.
• Israeli forces detained hundreds of people participating in a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, including the sister of Ireland’s president.

The Wafa news agency reports that Israeli forces have stormed several areas in the Ramallah and el-Bireh governorate in the occupied West Bank.

The forces entered the northern villages of al-Mughayyir and Abu Falah on Monday evening, with confrontations breaking out in al-Mughayyir, during which Israeli forces fired toxic gas canisters, according to the Wafa report.

Domestically, the war could be a real problem for President Trump, because this is a deeply unpopular war, and it has had a major impact on the economy and on the cost of living.

President Trump says he doesn’t care about that; those are his exact words, saying that he believes that as soon as this war is over, everything is going to suddenly return to normal.

But many Americans don’t agree with that; they are suffering, their cost of living has gone up, and some are eyeing those midterm elections in November to make their dissatisfaction with the president and his Republican Party very clear.

US crude futures have fallen by more than 2 percent during early Asian trading after Trump reportedly halted a planned air strike on Iran to facilitate peace talks.

The most active July contract for US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) dropped by $2.08, or 2.02 percent, to stand at $102.34 per barrel as of 22:12 GMT.

Demonstrators gathered outside Greece’s Foreign Ministry in Athens after Israeli forces intercepted several Gaza-bound aid flotilla boats carrying international volunteers, including Greek nationals, off the coast of Cyprus.

There was an addition to Trump’s Truth Social post earlier in the day, in which he announced that he had suspended this planned attack, which nobody knew, or certainly not [anyone] in the public.

He added… in an event that’s just been held at the White House [that] he’ll give two or three days… or else the attack will be launched.

President Trump has given deadlines before, which have not been fully executed.

Trump is saying that he’s given this delay in the attack because of the requests of the Gulf leaders. Because of his respect for them, he said, he’s agreed to concede to that, adding as well in the last few minutes that he thinks that there’s a good chance that they can work something out.

So, he remains optimistic on one level, but at the same time, in his earlier social media post, he made very clear that he’s given instructions to the secretary of defence to be ready to go on the offensive at a moment’s notice.

The commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Major-General Ali Abdollahi, has warned the US and its allies not to commit another “strategic mistake or miscalculation”, according to the Tasnim news agency.

The commander said the country’s armed forces were more prepared and stronger than before, with their hands on the trigger to respond to any renewed aggression.

He noted that “US and Zionist forces have repeatedly tested Iran’s resolve” to no avail, and warned that any further mistakes would face a response far more powerful than previous military confrontations, according to Tasnim.

The Wafa news agency reports that Israeli settlers burned lands in the town of al-Karmil, south of Hebron, under the protection of Israeli forces.

The incident occurred on Monday evening when settlers set fire to citizens’ property in the Khirbet Um Nir area.

Local anti-settlement activist Osama Makhamreh said that civil defence volunteers from the nearby villages of at-Tawani and Susya in Masafer Yatta rushed to the scene and worked to extinguish the blaze, according to Wafa.

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic has rejected the proposed Israeli ambassador to Zagreb, citing “policies pursued by the current Israeli authorities”, according to a statement from his office.

“The proposed ambassador of the State of Israel has not received, nor will he receive, the consent of the president of the republic,” the office said.

The statement said Croatia’s presidency had previously refrained from publicly commenting on ambassadorial nominations, in line with diplomatic practice, but that Israel had deviated from the “unwritten rule” by announcing the nominee’s name before receiving formal consent.

The president’s rejection came “in light of this action by the Israeli side”, the office said.

The presidency stressed that granting or withholding consent for foreign ambassadors is a sovereign right of Croatia and falls under the authority of the president.

It added that “any public or political pressure… will not alter the president’s decision”.

Iraqi security forces have launched sweeping operations in the country’s western area, following reports of secret Israeli military bases there.

Iraqi authorities have denied the presence of unauthorised foreign bases amid growing tensions involving the US, Israel and Iran.

Watch below to learn more:

Oil prices rose, and global stock markets reacted in a mixed manner after Trump said he had postponed a planned attack on Iran at the request of Gulf leaders.

Oil prices had briefly lowered following an Iranian media report that said US officials had agreed to suspend sanctions on its crude while talks on ending the war continue. But with no confirmation of the report, as well as Iranian statements on taxing travel through the Strait of Hormuz, oil prices quickly began rising again.

US crude rose $3.24 to settle at $108.66 a barrel, while Brent crude gained $2.84 to $112.10.

“It feels very tenuous right now,” Tom Siomades, chief market economist at AE Wealth Management, told AFP. “Obviously, the Iran stuff on a daily basis is driving everything.”

Democratic lawmaker Chris Murphy has slammed the US-Israel war on Iran amid soaring energy prices in the US.

In a video shared on X, Murphy said petrol was up to nearly $5 per gallon in Connecticut, which he represents, while diesel has reached almost $6.

“The only reason the prices are this high is because of Donald Trump’s war of choice, a disastrous war that isn’t making us any safer but is driving up the price of everything,” Murphy said.

Trump and his Republican Party face growing political pressure ahead of key midterm elections later this year, as recent polls suggest a majority of Americans are opposed to the war.

A gallon of gas now costs $5 in Connecticut. Diesel is $6. This is ruining people who live paycheck to paycheck, small businesses, farmers and the trucking industry.

And there is only person who has caused prices to be this high: DONALD TRUMP. pic.twitter.com/Wsgr6Ejb3p

— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) May 18, 2026