Trump Rules Out U.S. Strike on Iran for October 25

President Donald Trump said on October 25 that the United States would not strike Iran that day, while leaving open the possibility of later military action. His statement ruled out an attack for Sunday but did not signal an end to military pressure or a resolution of the dispute with Tehran. Asked by reporters whether the United States would attack, Trump initially declined to disclose military plans before saying there would be no strike. Earlier, he had described the choice as making a deal with Iran or continuing military action. He also said he had two different sets of intelligence reports concerning Iranian plans targeting Americans in the Middle East, without providing further details about them. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran had not closed the door to diplomacy and that messages were still being exchanged with Washington through intermediaries. He accused the United States of imposing unilateral demands and said Iranian officials rejected what they characterize as a demand for complete surrender. That description reflects Iran’s account of the U.S. position; no formal surrender ultimatum is established in the reported remarks. No...