Trump Puts Attack on Hold, but "Only for a Certain Period"... Treasury Announces Sweeping Sanctions

Trump Cites Temporary Hold on Strike

Treasury Department Ramps Up Economic Pressure

U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly put the planned airstrike on Iran on hold on the 19th (local time), but indicated the possibility of resuming military action, saying that he was "giving it a few days." At the same time, the White House announced sweeping sanctions targeting Iran's shadow financial networks, oil transport vessels, and Hamas support networks, maintaining pressure on both military and economic fronts.

President Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House that day, reiterated his previous claim that the attack on Iran had been postponed at the request of Gulf leaders. He said, "They asked if we could give them two or three days," adding, "I'm talking about a certain period—maybe two or three days, perhaps Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or even early next week."

U.S. President Donald Trump. The White House

The day before, President Trump had announced via social media platform Truth Social that he had instructed the military not to carry out the attack scheduled for the 19th at the request of Gulf leaders. Although the strike was called off just a day before it was set to take place, the White House emphasized that this was not a diplomatic concession but rather the granting of a limited window of time.

While military action was put on hold, economic pressure was immediately ramped up. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) under the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that it had designated front companies, which had overseen hundreds of millions of dollars in transactions on behalf of Iran's major foreign exchange dealers and banks already under sanctions, as new targets for sanctions.

OFAC also added 19 vessels involved in the transport of Iranian oil and petrochemical products to its sanctions list. The Treasury Department explained that these measures are aimed at further cutting off sources of revenue used for the Iranian regime's weapons development, support for terrorist proxy groups, and private wealth accumulation by regime elites.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated, "Iran's shadow financial system facilitates the illicit movement of funds for terrorism," and added, "Through our 'Economic Fury' operation, the Treasury is systematically dismantling Iran's shadow financial system and its fleet." He also warned financial institutions to be vigilant about how the Iranian regime manipulates the international financial system.

In addition, the U.S. has imposed sanctions on the Hamas support network. OFAC included in its sanctions list the organizers of fleets attempting to enter Gaza to support Hamas, operatives from the Hamas-affiliated Muslim Brotherhood network, and organizers of Samidoun, a front group for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott stated, "Hamas leverages these support networks to strengthen its position in Gaza, fund its operations, and engage in acts of terror beyond the border." He further pointed out, "These measures demonstrate how Hamas exploits diaspora organizations, religious groups, and civil society organizations under the guise of humanitarian purposes to pursue harmful objectives."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.