Trump calls off Iran strike, citing "perimeters of a deal"
Trump abruptly canceled a planned attack on Iran, and the on-again, off-again crisis is dragging on the whole world with no real resolution in sight.
- Trump halted the strike at the last minute after phone calls from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other Middle East nations, saying he'd reached a vague deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end Iran's nuclear program.
- This is the sixth month of the same cycle β threats, evacuation warnings, then a last-second pullback β and both sides may just be reloading to fight again.
- Gas has already hit $5 a gallon in several states, and US refineries, supply chains, and the strategic oil reserve are all reportedly under strain even as Exxon and Chevron post record profits.
- Capital One says it closed Trump Organization accounts after a money-laundering review β the first time a bank has tied such concerns to the family business.
- Democrats are also bleeding money: big donors like George Soros and Reid Hoffman have given the party nothing this cycle, partly over anger about Gaza, where the death toll keeps climbing.
Outlook: Expect more threats and stalling with no lasting deal, and prices and tensions likely stay high until at least the midterms.