US President Donald Trump has said he cancelled planned military strikes against Iran on Thursday and indicated that a possible agreement with Tehran could be signed soon following high-level discussions, reports AFP.
Trump announced the decision in a post on his Truth Social platform, saying discussions with the Islamic Republic had reached the highest levels of Iran’s leadership and received approval. He said the planned strikes and bombings scheduled for Thursday evening had therefore been called off.
The US president said the parties involved had agreed on the “final points” of a proposed deal in both principle and detail. According to Trump, the countries involved include the United States, Israel and several regional partners. He added that the time and venue for signing the agreement would be announced shortly. However, he said the US naval blockade of Iran would remain in place until the deal is finalised.
There was no immediate official response from Iran. Reports from Tehran indicated that negotiations were continuing, but Iranian officials disputed claims that a final agreement had already been approved.
Trump’s announcement marked a sharp shift from his earlier position. Just hours before, he had warned of “very hard” strikes on Iran and threatened to take control of Kharg Island and other key oil infrastructure sites in what would have been a major escalation of the conflict.
Kharg Island is central to Iran’s oil export industry and remains one of the country’s most important economic assets. Located off Iran’s Gulf coast, it handles the vast majority of the country’s crude oil exports.
Speaking later in a telephone interview with Fox News, Trump suggested he preferred a diplomatic solution. While reiterating that he had previously favoured taking control of Kharg Island, he questioned whether the American public would support such a move. He also said he did not want to deploy ground troops and preferred not to target civilian infrastructure because of the impact on ordinary people.
Trump again expressed frustration over the lack of a final agreement with Tehran. He accused Iran of delaying negotiations aimed at ending the conflict, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and addressing concerns over its nuclear programme.
Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would seek to use Iranian funds to cover damage caused to Gulf allies by Iranian actions.
