With U.S. President Donald Trump confirming that he temporarily refrained from striking Iran, following Tehran’s announcement of halting the execution of approximately 800 protesters, according to him, the state of alert between the two countries has noticeably decreased, although this does not mean the tension has disappeared, despite the existence of open communication channels between the parties.
In this context, White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt stated that “Trump” reserves all options regarding Iran, stressing that “no one knows what he will ultimately decide except the president himself.”
“Trump” will “make decisions that are in the best interest of America and the world,” Levitt added, according to the Wall Street Journal on Saturday.
Diplomatic sources stated that Iranian diplomats sought during the week to persuade the United States to refrain from any military strike and to work to resume nuclear talks instead of escalation.
In the same context, Arab and European officials indicated that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi contacted them in order to arrange a meeting with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkov at the Swiss resort of Davos, before the start of the World Economic Forum next week, but these arrangements have not yet been completed.
In contrast, U.S. officials and military officials began preparing potential military options against Iran and received informal briefings from senior aides, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“Trump” was scheduled to hold a meeting last Tuesday with senior officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Keane, to review some plans, but the U.S. president was absent from the meeting, before launching escalating statements via social media, calling on Iranian demonstrators to take control of the institutions.
But “Trump’s” tone gradually declined, as he softened his statements on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, expressing his thanks to the Iranian authorities for stopping the executions, which he said numbered about 800. He wrote on his “Truth Social” platform: “I highly appreciate the Iranian leadership’s cancellation of all scheduled executions (more than 800 operations).”
Despite this relative decline in rhetoric, the United States sent additional military reinforcements to the region last Thursday, indicating that “Trump” may reconsider his position, while keeping the option of a surprise attack open.
