U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he had called off planned strikes against Iran, stating that a deal had been reached with the regime. However, Tehran swiftly denied any final agreement.
Trump's Statement
“Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have, as president of the United States of America, canceled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening,” Trump declared. “Discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved.”
Trump listed the parties as “Israel, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt and others.” He emphasized that the U.S. naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz “will remain in full force and effect until this transaction is finalized.” The time and place for the signing were to be announced shortly.
Oval Office Press Conference
During a later press conference in the Oval Office, Trump stated, “We have a deal that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, which was the whole purpose of what we had to go through to get this.” He added, “We have a signing soon, and the documents are in pretty final shape, so we’ll see. It should be done and it should be done pretty quickly.” Trump noted that Iran “want it every bit as much as everybody else wants it” and predicted that “a lot of good relationships can ensue from this.”
Iran's Denial
Hours after Trump’s pronouncements, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei stated, “Iran has not reached a final conclusion on the agreement.” Later, Trump doubled down, telling reporters “I understand the answer is yes,” when asked if Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had approved the deal.
Kuwait Reports Attack
Even as Trump’s intervention raised hopes of a resolution, Kuwait reported that Iran had targeted its territory, damaging an airport radar and forcing an airspace closure. The incident underscored the fragility of the situation.
Reactions and Context
Trump’s statement suggested that back-channel mediation led by U.S. allies like Pakistan and Qatar may have borne fruit, despite his earlier threat to hit Iran “VERY HARD TONIGHT.” Just a day earlier, he had declared that U.S. forces would step up airstrikes and seize control of Iran’s oil export facility on Kharg Island.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) responded, “I hope we have in fact reached a diplomatic solution to end the Iranian conflict that will meet President Trump’s red lines and be fundamentally different from the JCPOA.” He added, “As in the past, any agreement reached with Iran related to their nuclear program will be presented to Congress for review and approval.”
The conflicting statements from Washington and Tehran leave the situation uncertain, with the region on edge following months of conflict.
