Trump cancels planned strikes on Iran, says agreement is near

Earlier on Thursday, the president warned that the United States would strike Iran “very hard.”

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

President Donald Trump announced that he had canceled planned U.S. military strikes on Iran, saying discussions aimed at ending the conflict had advanced and received approval at the highest levels of Iranian leadership.

On Truth Social, Trump said he had decided not to proceed with attacks that had been scheduled for later in the evening.

“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, cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening,” Trump wrote.

The announcement followed two consecutive evenings of strikes. On Thursday, the president warned that the United States would strike Iran “very hard.”

Trump said negotiations had reached an advanced stage and described broad regional involvement in the discussions.

“Discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others,” he wrote.

He added that pressure on Iran would continue until an agreement is completed.

“The Naval Blockade will remain in full force and effect until this Transaction is finalized — Time and place of the signing to be announced shortly.”

The United States carried out two days of retaliatory operations targeting Iranian military and radar installations after Tehran downed an American Apache helicopter. During the confrontation, Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones at U.S. assets in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan.

Despite Trump’s announcement, Iran has not approved any text for an initial memorandum of understanding with the United States, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency cited an informed source close to Iran’s negotiating team as saying.

At the same time, Axios reported that key differences between the parties “were narrowed” during talks in Tehran between Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

A memorandum of understanding extending a fragile ceasefire currently in place has been under discussion while negotiations continue. The proposed framework calls for subsequent talks focused on Iran’s nuclear program.