Trump Holds Fire On Iran For First Time In 13 Nights. Is This The Calm Before The Storm?
Trump Holds Fire On Iran For First Time In 13 Nights. Is This The Calm Before The Storm? Published By, Last Updated: July 25, 2026
Trump Holds Fire On Iran For First Time In 13 Nights. Is This The Calm Before The Storm? Published By, Last Updated: July 25, 2026, 21:30 IST Despite the pause, US President Donald Trump said that pressure on Iran had not eased and warned that the military remained prepared to intensify operations if negotiations failed. US President Donald Trump. (Image source: Reuters) US-Iran War: For the first time in two weeks, there were no US strikes on Iran, raising questions over whether the pause signals a diplomatic opening or simply a break before a possible escalation. The United States had not been preparing anything larger on Friday night. Instead, the military was reportedly ready to carry out an operation similar in scale to the strikes conducted every night over the past two weeks. After 13 consecutive nights of US strikes, CENTCOM announced that no new attacks were carried out on Friday night as negotiations continued. Despite the pause, US President Donald Trump said that pressure on Iran had not eased and warned that the military remained prepared to intensify operations if negotiations failed.
“We’re locked and loaded and ready to go," Trump said, making it clear that Washington was ready to escalate if required. The absence of strikes came a day after Trump’s cabinet met to consider stepping up military action against Iran. The development also followed reports from Iran that there had been no US strikes for the first time in two weeks. According to reports, the Americans had not prepared for a broader operation on Friday. Instead, they were reportedly planning an attack identical in scope to those carried out every night over the previous fortnight. Reports also suggested that either the pause was genuine or it could be the quiet before a larger military operation. Israel prepared for possible escalation According to reports, Israel prepared for a powerful American strike on Iran during the night between Friday and Saturday. Such an operation could have expanded the conflict across the Middle East and raised the possibility of Israeli involvement if Iran responded by launching missiles towards Israel.
An Israeli official said it appeared Trump had decided to postpone the deadline to give Iran another opportunity to return to the negotiating table. Trump warns military ready for higher escalation On Friday night, Trump again warned that the United States was ready to raise the level of military action against Iran if necessary. “We can raise the level of escalation with Iran to a much higher level if we want. We are ready for that. And fully prepared to act," he said. According to Iran International, Israel had assessed that a major US attack on Iran could be launched overnight on Friday. However, officials later concluded that Trump had delayed the operation to allow Tehran more time to make concessions, Ynet reported on Saturday. Reports also said Qatar and Oman had urged Iran to soften its position in an effort to prevent what had appeared to be an imminent large-scale American operation. Israeli officials viewed the pause as only a temporary reprieve rather than a change in the broader outlook, saying the chances of a lasting US-Iran agreement remained slim.
The BriefWire