AUSTIN, Texas — President Donald Trump says the U.S. is temporarily pausing planned military action against Iran as negotiations continue, a shift that comes after hours of escalating comments.
In a social media post, Trump said he was open to a two-week pause in fighting if Iran allows ships to move freely through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy route.
Abteen Vaziri, an Iranian American, said he supports the administration’s approach.
“No president has come this far to try to, you know, get rid of this radical regime,” Vaziri said.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea and is considered one of the most important shipping lanes in the world. Historian Dr. Joe Kotinsly said most of the world’s oil passes through the narrow waterway.
“The Strait of Hormuz is a very narrow strip of water in the Persian Gulf through which the overwhelming majority of the world’s oil travels,” Kotinsly said.
Hours before the eventual announcement of a possible pause, Trump posted a warning that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if no agreement was reached.
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That message sparked concern among some Iranian Americans and experts, including Nahid Siamdoust, a Middle East and media studies professor at the University of Texas at Austin.
“He’s talking about an Entire civilization. I think most Iranians feel deeply sort of offended and affected by that,” Siamdoust said.
She said reactions within the Iranian community remain emotional and uncertain.
“It’s very difficult to know with President Trump how seriously we can take his words; however, the words he’s expressed about annihilating an entire civilization must be taken seriously,” she said.
Siamdoust added that many Iranians are hoping for a de-escalation.
“The Iranians have said the president of the United States is not a reliable negotiating partner,” she said. “I think Iranians around the world are hoping that once this deadline comes, some kind of de-escalation has been negotiated between Iran and the warring parties.”
She also described the moment as deeply difficult for many watching from afar.
“It’s devastating. You know, Iran is one of the world’s greatest and oldest civilizations,” Siamdoust said.
Meanwhile, Vaziri said he believes unpredictability is part of the administration’s strategy.
“And someone that’s unpredictable, and that scares the hell out of the enemy,” he said.
He added that he believes the situation could last longer than expected.
“When he says that we’re gonna be out in 2 weeks, 3 weeks, I actually think he’s bluffing. I think he knows that it’s gonna be a long, drawn-out war,” Vaziri said.