President Donald Trump announced in a Truth Social post Monday, that he was postponing a scheduled military strike on Iran set for Tuesday (May 19), at the request of the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

The leaders—Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan—urged Trump to delay the attack, citing ongoing "serious negotiations" that could lead to an acceptable deal ensuring "NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN."

Trump stated he respected these Gulf allies and, based on their assurances, instructed U.S. defense officials—including War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Daniel Caine—not to proceed with the strike. However, he emphasized that the U.S. military remains on high alert and "prepared to go forward with a full, large-scale assault on Iran, on a moment’s notice" if the negotiations fail.

During a healthcare affordability event at the White House Monday, Trump told reporters that the proposed deal would ensure "NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN" and that the Gulf leaders feared retaliatory attacks on their energy infrastructure. He emphasized that while the attack was called off, the U.S. military remained on high alert, ready to launch a "full, large-scale assault on a moment’s notice" if negotiations failed.

The decision follows heightened U.S.-Iran tensions over Iran’s nuclear program amid ongoing peace talks, with Iran having recently submitted a revised peace proposal through Pakistani mediators—reportedly deemed insufficient by U.S. officials.

This marked the latest in a series of unenforced deadlines, with previous pauses tied to talks mediated by Pakistan. The U.S. had been pressing Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and surrender its enriched uranium stockpile, while rising fuel prices at home added pressure on the Trump administration.

"Dialogue does not mean surrender," Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on X Monday. "The Islamic Republic of Iran enters into dialogue with dignity, authority, and the preservation of the nation's rights, and under no circumstances will it retreat from the legal rights of the people and the country. We will serve the people with logic and with all our might, to the end, and safeguard the interests and honor of Iran."

Trump had previously warned Iran that "the clock is ticking" and that talks could resume "through bombs" if no deal is reached.

Iran has retained and adapted its air defense capabilities despite extensive U.S. and Israeli strikes during Operation Epic Fury, with reports indicating that Tehran has dug up and reconstituted damaged missile sites and shot down several U.S. aircraft, challenging claims of total U.S. air dominance. Critics say this development may have informed Trump's unwillingness to restart U.S. bombinbg campaign.

Iranian forces used mobile and concealed air defense systems, including MANPADS (man-portable air-defense systems) and truck-mounted launchers, to target low-flying U.S. aircraft.

Although U.S. officials initially claimed Iran’s air defenses were "decimated," the shootdown of an F-15E Strike Eagle and an A-10 Warthog in early April 2026 revealed that Iran retained operational capabilities. Experts suggest Iran likely used shoulder-fired Verba missiles—possibly supplied early by Russia—or older systems hidden in bunkers and tunnels. Iran’s doctrine of dispersal, concealment, and independent operation allowed these systems to survive and engage U.S. aircraft effectively.

Despite U.S. efforts to destroy Iran’s underground missile facilities using bunker-busting munitions, up to 90% of these sites remained active or were rapidly restored. U.S. intelligence assessments from May 2026 revealed that Iran had regained access to most of its missile launchers and storage facilities, which had been buried or sealed under debris.

Satellite imagery and intelligence sources confirmed Iran was clearing debris at missile base entrances and exploiting ceasefire periods to rebuild its missile and drone capabilities, aided by foreign components reportedly from China and North Korea. The Pentagon had opted to seal rather than fully destroy many sites to conserve limited bunker-buster stocks for potential conflicts with China or North Korea, contributing to Iran’s ability to recover.

Iran has launched "Hormuz Safe," a state-backed digital maritime insurance platform that settles premiums in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, aiming to bypass Western banking sanctions and generate over $10 billion in annual revenue from Strait of Hormuz shipping traffic.

The platform, reportedly developed by Iran’s Ministry of Economy and Financial Affairs, issues cryptographically verifiable insurance policies for cargo and vessels transiting the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.

Coverage activates immediately upon blockchain confirmation and includes protection against vessel inspection, detention, and confiscation, though it explicitly excludes war damage from direct military strikes. The initiative follows the freezing of more than $344 million in USDT linked to Iran’s central bank by Tether and U.S. authorities, prompting Tehran to accelerate its reliance on Bitcoin for financial sovereignty.

While Iranian officials project significant revenue from the platform, its adoption faces substantial hurdles. Bitcoin’s price volatility and the risk of U.S. secondary sanctions make foreign shipping companies hesitant to participate, as on-chain transactions could flag Iranian-linked wallets.

Iranian officials reportedly said the platform’s website will soon be made widely accessible outside Iran

The jury ruled against SpaceXAI and Tesla CEO Elon Musk in his lawsuit against OpenAI, Sam Altman, and Greg Brockman, finding that his claims were barred by the statute of limitations after less than two hours of deliberation.

The unanimous verdict, delivered Monday, in a federal court in Oakland, California, cleared Altman, Brockman, OpenAI, and Microsoft of all allegations, with Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers accepting the advisory jury’s decision and dismissing the case.

Musk’s lawsuit, filed in 2024, alleged that Altman and Brockman betrayed a founding agreement to keep OpenAI a nonprofit dedicated to advancing AI for humanity’s benefit. He claimed they improperly shifted the company to a for-profit model with Microsoft, effectively "stealing a charity" after he contributed $38 million in early funding. The SpaceXAI CEO sought up to $134 billion in damages, the removal of Altman and Brockman, and the dissolution of OpenAI’s for-profit arm.

However, the defense successfully argued that Musk knew about OpenAI’s transition as early as 2021, making his 2024 lawsuit untimely under the three-year statute of limitations. Testimony from Musk, Altman, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and former board member Shivon Zilis revealed deep rifts over control and mission, but the jury focused on procedural grounds rather than the case’s merits.

OpenAI’s legal team called the suit a "hypocritical attempt to sabotage a competitor," referencing Musk’s own AI venture, xAI (now SpaceXAI). Musk’s attorney, Marc Toberoff, confirmed plans to appeal the decision.

“I have a one-word reaction: Appeal. This war is not over," Toberoff told reporters. "We firmly believe what happened with OpenAI was wrong on a very basic level that you can't raise millions of dollars in a publicly subsidized charity, and when it suits you, just turn into a for-profit operation where the officers and directors of the charity enrich themselves to the tune of billions, and that's what actually happened here, and that's just wrong."

Commenting on the jury decision, Musk wrote on X: "Regarding the OpenAI case, the judge & jury never actually ruled on the merits of the case, just on a calendar technicality. There is no question to anyone following the case in detail that Altman & Brockman did in fact enrich themselves by stealing a charity. The only question is WHEN they did it! I will be filing an appeal with the Ninth Circuit, because creating a precedent to loot charities is incredibly destructive to charitable giving in America. OpenAI was founded to benefit all of humanity."

Musk also wrote in another post: "This illustrates why the ruling by the terrible activist Oakland judge, who simply used the jury as a fig leaf, creates such a terrible precedent. She just handed out a free license to loot charities if you can keep the looting quiet for a few years!"