US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that he has cancelled planned military strikes against Iran, saying negotiations had reached the highest levels of the Iranian leadership and raising hopes of a possible diplomatic breakthrough after more than three months of conflict.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had ordered the cancellation of the scheduled strikes after discussions with the Islamic Republic reached an advanced stage and received approval from Iran’s top leadership. “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.
Trump on peach deal
Trump also signalled that the two sides were moving closer to a peace agreement, saying that progress has been made in talks to extend the fragile ceasefire, writing that “discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail,” approved by the United States, Israel, and other regional allies. He did not offer details.
“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 said.
The President further stated that the time and venue for the signing of the agreement would be announced shortly.
Naval blockade will ‘remain in full force’: Trump
However, Trump clarified that the US naval blockade would remain fully in force until the proposed agreement is formally concluded.
“The Naval Blockade will remain in full force and effect until this Transaction is finalized โ Time and place of the signing to be announced shortly,” he added.
Earlier, Trump said America would hit Iran ‘very hard’, threatening in a social media post to “assume total control” of Iran’s oil and gas industries, including the key Kharg Island, in the “not too distant future.”
Trump’s remark came after the US and Iran traded strikes for a second day, pushing the Middle East closer to the resumption of a full-scale war. The American attack, which lasted into Thursday morning in Iran, appeared more intense and wider than the day before.
Iran released little information on the extent of the damage and said it fired back at Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, as it had a day before. The US military continued to enforce its blockade of Iranian ports, saying Thursday it fired missiles to disable a tanker attempting to transport Iranian oil.
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