For long hours on Wednesday, it appeared the US was on the verge of launching a large-scale strike on Iran, in response to the violent suppression of a nationwide protest wave against the regime that has left thousands dead. The Pentagon had already moved military assets into the Gulf, allies were alerted, and personnel at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar were instructed to prepare for possible evacuation amid fears of an Iranian response.
A day earlier, US President Donald Trump had publicly encouraged Iranian protesters on social media, promising that "help is on the way," a statement widely interpreted in Washington as laying the groundwork for military intervention. At the last moment, however, Trump halted the move following an internal clash at the top of the administration, according to several US officials cited by The Washington Post.
According to the Post, US Central Command was also instructed to prepare personnel to be available for high-level support around the clock "for the coming month," as one official familiar with the details put it.
A source close to the White House said Vice President JD Vance, usually associated with more isolationist views, adopted a hawkish line this time. He argued that Trump had drawn a public red line by warning Tehran against killing protesters and therefore had to enforce it.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe also presented Trump with classified videos showing severe regime violence against civilians, including scenes of bodies lying in the streets, in an effort to underscore the gravity of the situation. According to an official familiar with the discussions who spoke to the Post, the images reminded Trump of how footage of atrocities in Syria had previously led him to order a strike.
Opposing them were Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who warned of regional escalation and unpredictable consequences. Witkoff, who also serves as the main channel to Tehran and opposed a strike, conveyed direct messages to the president from Iran's leadership, including a message from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, as reported in recent days. At the same time, a text message sent by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Witkoff "also contributed somewhat to calming the situation," according to an official familiar with the matter. Witkoff told Trump that Iran had canceled the planned execution of 800 prisoners, a step Trump viewed as a signal of de-escalation.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pushed to wait and continue economic pressure on the regime, while military officials warned that the deployment of US forces in other theaters limited Washington's ability to cope with a broad Iranian retaliatory attack.
External pressure was also applied in a coordinated manner. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and Oman warned the White House of an Iranian response that could destabilize the entire region. As previously reported, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also spoke with Trump and urged him not to act at this stage, arguing that Israel was not prepared to withstand Iranian retaliation without a broad US military presence in the region.
After receiving a full briefing from the Pentagon and intelligence agencies, Trump concluded that the potential gains of a strike did not justify the risk. A person close to the administration described it as a "cost-benefit analysis," stressing that an attack would not necessarily have led to the regime's collapse but rather to a dangerous escalation.
On Friday, Trump even addressed Tehran publicly, saying he "very much respects the fact that they canceled" the executions. Around 3:30 p.m. local time, senior Pentagon officials were informed that there was no need to prepare for overnight operations, after it became clear the strike would not go ahead. Vance fell in line with the president's decision, and US forces returned to routine operations.
The White House emphasizes that the military option remains on the table, but for now, caution and fears of a wider regional war have prevailed.
