President Donald Trump claimed Thursday that the United States “just made a great settlement in our war with Iran,” subject to “finalizing the document.”
Trump predicted the deal would be signed “in the next few days” from the Oval Office, repeating similar claims he has made many times during the war.
President Trump said the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil shipping route that became a major choke point during the war, would reopen as soon as a deal was reached.
Earlier, President Trump claimed that talks with the Islamic Republic had been “brought to and approved by the highest levels of Iranian leadership” and said he had halted any future U.S. military strikes against Iran.
However, Iranian state media Fars reported on Telegram shortly after President Trump’s announcement that the Iranian government had not approved the initial memorandum of understanding text with the United States.
In a follow-up post on Telegram, Fars characterized President Trump’s move as a tactical retreat from military threats after Iran failed to add new details to a previously submitted draft agreement.
“The reality is that so far not only has Iran not made a final response, but it is the United States that has returned to its previous demands,” Fars said in a translated post.
“Of course, given that the United States has accepted the document proposed by Iran, it appears that there is a possibility that this document may be revisited,” Fars said.
President Trump said in the Oval Office that he had discussed the possibility of a memorandum of understanding or agreement with Iran with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other regional leaders.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed the conversation late Thursday. The newspaper said in a statement that while Israel is not participating in negotiations with Iran, the prime minister appreciated Trump’s “commitment that a final agreement at the end of negotiations will include various limits on Iran’s nuclear capabilities and other actions.”
President Trump’s Truth Social post announcing the cancellation of the airstrike was a dramatic reversal from hours earlier, when he warned that the United States would attack Iran “very hard” “tonight” and would soon seize Iranian oil infrastructure, including Kharg Island.
“The discussions and final points were approved in both concept and detail by all parties involved, including Israel and nine other regional powers,” Trump wrote in his latest post. However, that list did not include Iran or Lebanon, which Israel continues to attack.
President Trump has been claiming for months that a peace deal with Iran is on the horizon, but he has suggested that nothing has been done, that the purported deal is not yet formal, and that it is unclear whether there is an actual agreement for the belligerents to consider.
The U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports in the Gulf of Oman “will remain in full force and effect until the completion of this transaction,” Trump wrote.
Nevertheless, immediately after President Trump’s announcement, stock indexes soared and oil prices fell. This follows a pattern of trading based on the president’s claims that has been repeated many times since the war began on February 28th. President Trump has said more than 30 times that a deal to end the war is near.
“Based on the fact that consultations with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest levels of Iranian leadership and approved, I, as President of the United States, have canceled attacks and bombings against Iran that were scheduled for this evening. The consultations and final plan, both in concept and in detail, will ensure that the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and the naval blockade remain in full force and effect until this transaction is completed, and the time and place of signing will be announced shortly.”
The president’s latest signals about a near-term deal come just as the war between the U.S. and Iran appears to be returning to full-scale conflict, further undermining the shaky ceasefire and hampering prospects for a quick peace.
“The United States will attack Iran (navy, air force, radar, anti-aircraft, and all other defenses are gone along with most of the strike capability!) tonight is very tough,” President Trump said in a post on Truth Social Thursday morning.
“At some point in the not-too-distant future, we will occupy Kharg Island and other oil infrastructure sites and take complete control of the oil and gas market,” he wrote.
The threat followed two days of U.S. strikes that began after President Trump accused Iran of shooting down a U.S. military helicopter patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz on Monday night.
The United States launched an attack in retaliation on Tuesday, triggering a military response from Iran. The US launched more missiles on Wednesday.
Iranian state media reported early Thursday that Elon Musk’s Middle East companies, including SpaceX’s Starlink internet service, are considered military targets.
