STORY: :: Washington, D.C. / May 18, 2026
:: Trump says there's a 'very good chance' of a deal with Iran, after saying he delayed a plan to attack
"I've put it off for a little while, hopefully maybe forever, but possibly for a little while, because we've had very big discussions with Iran and we'll see what they amount to. I was asked by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE and some others if we could put it off for two or three days, a short period of time, because they think that they are getting very close to making a deal. And if we can do that where there's no nuclear weapon going into the hands of Iran, I think, and if they're satisfied, we will be probably satisfied also."
"We're not going to let Iran have a nuclear weapon. So, I was called by these three countries plus others, and they're dealing directly with our people, and, right now, Iran. And there seems to be a very good chance that they can work something out. If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I'd be very happy."
Trump said leaders from key U.S. allies in the Middle East had asked him to delay a planned military attack on Iran scheduled for Tuesday to allow negotiations with Tehran to continue, while warning the U.S. remained prepared to launch a large-scale assault if no agreement is reached.
"There seems to be a very good chance that they can work something out. If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I would be very happy," Trump told reporters gathered for a drug price announcement on Monday.
