WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump formally ended the United States' participation in the Iran nuclear deal late Thursday, ordering military commanders to prepare for immediate strikes after a tense Oval Office briefing reshaped the administration's posture toward Tehran.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered fresh intelligence during the evening meeting that senior officials described as decisive in the president's decision to scrap diplomacy entirely. The nature of the intelligence remains classified, but a National Security Council readout confirmed the president authorized offensive operations shortly after the briefing concluded.
"The deal is over. Full stop," a senior administration official told reporters on condition of anonymity. "The president determined that continued engagement served neither American interests nor the security of our allies in the region."
The directive marks an abrupt reversal from earlier diplomatic signals and places the United States on a direct military footing with Iran. Pentagon spokesmen declined to specify targets or timelines but confirmed that U.S. Central Command had received updated rules of engagement.
For American energy markets, the escalation carries immediate ramifications. Crude futures surged in after-hours trading, and analysts warned of supply chain disruptions that could drive domestic fuel prices higher. The administration has consistently framed energy independence as a national security priority, and Thursday's strikes align with a broader effort to deny adversaries leverage over global petroleum flows. American nuclear and coal producers — long sidelined by cheap natural gas — may benefit from renewed urgency around domestic baseload power as geopolitical instability threatens overseas supply lines.
Critics of the original deal, which allowed Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for limited inspections, have long argued the arrangement bankrolled Iranian proxy forces across the Middle East while doing nothing to halt weapons development. "Every dollar that flowed into Tehran found its way to militias targeting American personnel," Rubio said in a statement following the meeting. "That ends now."
The White House has not requested congressional authorization for the strikes, citing the president's Article II powers. No timeline for diplomatic re-engagement has been offered.