Trump claims US and Iran on verge of signing peace agreement
US President Donald Trump announced that a peace deal with Iran is imminent, canceling planned strikes, but Iranian officials have not confirmed the claim, and fighting continues.
Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States and Iran are close to signing a peace agreement, and he canceled fresh missile strikes. Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated that discussions had been approved by Iran's highest leadership, leading him to call off scheduled bombings. He claimed the negotiations had the backing of Israel, Gulf states, Turkey, and Pakistan. The naval blockade will remain in place until the transaction is finalized.
However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Iran has not reached a final conclusion. The semi-official Tasnim news agency urged dismissing any news from Trump until Iran announces an agreement. A diplomat briefed on the talks revealed the deal had been largely agreed weeks ago, but there is still a 50% chance it could collapse.
Just hours before the peace announcement, Trump threatened to seize Iran's oil and gas infrastructure, including Kharg Island, which handles about 90% of Iranian oil exports. He later walked back the threat, expressing doubt that America has the stomach for it. The US and Iran have traded strikes for two consecutive days, triggered by the downing of a US helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz. The US launched extensive strikes on Iranian military sites, while Iran retaliated with missiles against Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on both sides to return to the April ceasefire and avoid further violence. Key sticking points remain: the release of frozen Iranian assets, the conflict in Lebanon, and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump wants Iran to guarantee free navigation through the strait and to abandon nuclear weapons development, which Tehran denies pursuing.
