President Donald Trump announced late Saturday that the United States would halt new planned attacks on Iran, pending renewed negotiations aimed at winding down the war and reopening stalled cargo traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow channel through which roughly one-fifth of the world's daily oil supply transits.

The announcement marks the latest instance in a recurring pattern throughout the five-month conflict, in which the U.S. president has first threatened massive military strikes and then called them off. These abrupt policy shifts have sent prices of oil and basic goods soaring, and previous pause announcements have been upended by renewed attacks within days — or even hours. The volatility has complicated planning for global shipping firms, energy traders, and allied governments attempting to calibrate their own responses to the conflict.

The following is a chronology of Trump's major announcements regarding pauses or ceasefires in strikes against Iran:

Initial Ceasefire Agreement

The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire to end the intense fighting that had begun on February 28 with Israeli and U.S. attacks. Trump made the announcement less than two hours before a deadline he had set for Tehran to capitulate or face attacks on bridges and power plants — strikes he warned would mean "a whole civilization will die."

Indefinite Extension

Trump announced that the U.S. would indefinitely extend its ceasefire with Iran, one day before it was set to expire. He stated that mediators had asked him to hold off on attacks to give Iranian leaders time to develop additional proposals. The fragile ceasefire held until May 8, when the U.S. carried out strikes on Iranian tankers.

Holding Off on Major Strikes

After a weekend of dire threats against Iran, Trump said he was holding off on a major planned military strike because "serious negotiations" were underway. "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," he said. By May 27, U.S. strikes resumed after negotiations faltered.

Escalation Threat and Reversal

After two days of back-and-forth attacks, Trump threatened further escalation, saying the U.S. would hit Iran "VERY HARD TONIGHT" and take "total control" of its oil and gas industries. Hours later, he posted on social media that a breakthrough in negotiations had been reached and called off the strikes.

Memorandum of Understanding

Trump signed an initial agreement with Iran calling for a permanent end to hostilities and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, starting a 60-day negotiating clock to reach a final deal on the future of Iran's nuclear program. Trump left the door open to abandoning the agreement. "It's a memorandum of understanding, and if I don't like it, we'll go back to shooting at them, dropping bombs," he said.

NATO Summit Strikes

After Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the strait, Trump launched new strikes on Iran while in Ankara, Turkey, attending the NATO leaders' summit. He subsequently renewed his threat to "just finish the job" on Iran, stating he believed the ceasefire was over.

Two-Week Pause After Daily Strikes

Trump announced he had paused two weeks of intense, daily U.S. strikes on Iran to give negotiations another chance. During 13 days of strikes, the U.S. military targeted key military and commercial sites as clashes escalated over shipping routes. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones across the Middle East at countries hosting U.S. troops.

Latest Cancellation

After telling reporters the U.S. would hit Iran "very hard," Trump announced on social media that he had canceled planned strikes, claiming Middle East allies had reached the parameters of a deal to end the war, including a reopening of the strait. "Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL," Trump said.

In response, Iran's defense minister said the country was "neither surprised nor passive" following Trump's announcement and said Iran continues to remain alert in the face of threats. As with each prior pause, the central question is whether this round of negotiations will produce a durable agreement or collapse as previous attempts have, restarting a cycle that has now repeated at least seven times since the conflict began.

Source: Fortune