Yesterday, President Trump ordered the US military not to carry out any new attacks in Iran, effectively ending a nearly two-week period in which attacks had been conducted daily. Sources said the decision reflects both Trump's desire to allow more room for diplomacy and the assessment that, as long as a decision is not made to resume a broader military campaign, the current level of attacks has reached its limit in terms of effectiveness. (Axios)
- Israeli media reported Saturday that Jerusalem had been prepared for a major escalation in the war over the weekend, which never came. Despite the pause, Israeli leaders still estimate that US President Donald Trump would soon be compelled to step up military action, the reports said.
- The order to halt the attacks was issued several hours after an Omani delegation arrived in Tehran for talks on a new agreement to open the Strait of Hormuz. Two regional sources familiar with the negotiations said that progress had been made in the talks, and that an agreement between Oman and Iran could be reached as early as this weekend. In that case, Trump would have to decide whether to accept the proposed agreement.
- Trump in a phone call with a French journalist: If Iran does not meet our demands 100%, the war will resume with full force.
- The Israeli security cabinet meeting tomorrow will focus on the future of the Gaza Strip and the Peace Council. It is estimated that ahead of the meeting with Trump, PM Netanyahu intends to advance "initiatives" regarding the Gaza Strip. (Israel Hayom)
-New York Times, President Trump has allegedly shelved, at least for now, plans for a major escalation against Iran. The key concern: a broader U.S. attack could trigger a powerful Iranian response and rapidly drain America’s Patriot missiles and other interceptors in the Middle East.
- US President Donald Trump’s abrupt change of planes when departing Turkey earlier this month from the new Qatar-gifted Air Force One to the older model was the result of information on a “credible threat” by Iranian proxies to attempt to harm him, The New York Times reported Friday.