WASHINGTON/TEHRAN (MNN); US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that planned American strikes against Iran had been cancelled following high-level discussions with Tehran, raising hopes for a possible agreement between the two countries in the coming days.
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said discussions with the Iranian leadership had reached the highest level and received approval, prompting him to halt the scheduled military action. He added that the time and venue for signing a potential agreement would be announced shortly.
Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, Trump described the understanding reached with Iran as a “great settlement” and said the relevant documents were in their final stages. He indicated that a formal signing ceremony could take place in Europe within days.
Trump said he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and planned to hold discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He also claimed that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen immediately after the agreement was signed and reiterated that Iran would not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons.
The US president further announced that Vice President JD Vance would attend the expected signing ceremony in Europe this weekend.
Despite Trump’s optimistic remarks, Iran signalled caution. Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency quoted a source close to the negotiating team as saying that Tehran had not yet approved any draft text for an initial memorandum of understanding with Washington.
At the same time, Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned that any future US attack would trigger a stronger response. The military command stated that if Iran’s oil and gas infrastructure were targeted, regional energy exports could be disrupted on a wider scale, potentially expanding instability across the region.
Trump also praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, calling them “great personalities” during his remarks at the White House.
In another statement, Trump said discussions and final points of the proposed agreement had broadly been approved by several regional and international stakeholders, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Turkiye, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Egypt. However, he noted that the US naval blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place until the deal was formally concluded.
Saudi Arabia condemned overnight Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait and called for renewed diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. Riyadh urged all sides to exercise restraint and return to negotiations, while specifically acknowledging mediation efforts by Pakistan and Qatar.
Meanwhile, global oil prices fell sharply after Trump’s announcement that military strikes on Iran had been cancelled. Brent crude dropped more than 3.5 per cent, while US crude futures recorded similar losses, reflecting market expectations of easing regional tensions.
Earlier in the day, Trump had warned of fresh military action against Iran and threatened to take control of key Iranian oil infrastructure. However, both Western and Iranian sources indicated that indirect talks aimed at achieving a preliminary peace arrangement had intensified in recent days.
