Trump says pause on Iran strikes is not a retreat, warns of wider offensive

WASHINGTON, United States — U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that a temporary halt to strikes on Iran does not amount to a retreat, warning that Washington is prepared to launch a large-scale offensive if its demands are not met. Speaking in a televised address, Trump did not say whether he had approved a new round of major strikes on Iran. The United States paused its air campaign against Iran on Saturday night for the first time in two weeks. The U.S. administration had been carrying out strikes of increasing intensity for 13 days in response to Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, following the collapse of a temporary agreement between Tehran and Washington. The collapse of that arrangement effectively ended a previously declared ceasefire that had been expected to end the war between Iran and the United States. Israeli media reported that a large-scale attack on Iran planned for Friday night into Saturday was postponed after Trump declined to approve the operation. No further details were immediately available on the duration of the pause or the conditions under which U.S. strikes could resume.