According to a report on New York Times, Trump had approved military strikes on multiple targets within Iran, but pulled back suddenly late on Thursday. The attacks were approved by Trump in retaliation to Iran shooting down a US drone earlier during the day.

The report doesn’t state the reason behind the decision to call off the strikes. It remains unclear whether Trump has put off the idea of attacking Iran or if the government is reconsidering its decision due to logistical and strategic concerns.

White House and Pentagon officials have refused to offer any comments on the issue. Following reports in the media about Iran’s Revolutionary Guards having shot down a US spy drone within Iranian airspace, Trump had tweeted that Iran had made a very big mistake.

Tensions between US and Iran have been on the rise ever since the US unilaterally pulled out from a 2015 nuclear accord signed with Iran and other major countries. The US has also reimposed sanctions on Iran, preventing it from exporting crude oil to other countries, causing a flare-up in the Middle East region.