President Donald Trump announced Thursday that U.S. airstrikes on Iran have been called off, citing progress toward a potential peace deal among all parties involved.
The decision came after a series of escalating threats and military actions, including a warning of "bigger" strikes and discussions about seizing Iran's strategic Kharg Island.
In a phone call to Fox News, Trump stated that the U.S. dropped $250 million worth of bombs on Wednesday alone, but he expressed uncertainty about whether Americans would support a ground operation to take Kharg Island, Iran's key oil export hub in the northern Persian Gulf.
"There will be more bombing tonight. It will be bigger – bigger, more powerful," he said, adding that Iran is "dying to make a deal."
Trump emphasized his preference for taking Kharg Island but acknowledged, "I don't know that America has the appetite to do what I would really much prefer doing." He said he would rather not deploy ground forces but noted that a small group of soldiers could potentially seize the entire area.
When asked about frustration with the situation, Trump replied, "I'm not frustrated. I don't get frustrated." He also stated he would "rather not" hit civilian infrastructure such as power plants, as he had previously threatened, because "once you do that, the people suffer."
Iran claimed early Thursday that U.S. strikes had hit a water storage facility, leaving 20,000 civilians without fresh water.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian responded to Trump's earlier threats against civilian infrastructure, calling them "not a strength but a sign of desperation in the face of a nation's will."
The sudden shift toward a potential peace deal marks a significant development in the ongoing tensions between the two nations, though details of the negotiations remain unclear.