Donald Trump says agreement approved by US, Iran, Israel, others, cancels strike
US President Donald Trump announced that he had canceled scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran on Thursday night, after a deal with Iran had been agreed upon.
The deal was approved “both in concept and great detail” by all involved parties, including the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and multiple other Middle Eastern countries, Trump wrote.
The blockade will stay in place until the deal is finalized, Trump added.
Israel does not recognize reaching an agreement, a senior Israeli official told Channel 12.
Iran disputes Trump’s claim
IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency wrote that Trump had announced an imminent deal 38 times in the last two months, and that until Iran announces an agreement, any Trump statement should be considered similarly to the past ones.
Iran’s Fars News Agency cited a source as saying Iran had not yet agreed to any memorandum of understanding with the US.
Negotiations progressed earlier in week
Negotiations between the US and Iran progressed late Wednesday night as Qatari envoy Ali Al-Thawadi and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi worked to resolve three key issues that impeded previous proposals, Axios reported on Thursday night.
The issues included the mechanism for releasing frozen Iranian assets, which Axios wrote was the primary issue for the Iranians, arrangements for reopening the Strait of Hormuz during the 60-day ceasefire period, and how negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program will be conducted during that period, according to the report.
Sources told Axios that Iranian officials told several countries on Thursday that while an agreement had been approved in principle, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had yet to give final approval.
Trump announced strikes earlier on Thursday
Trump earlier announced that the US would be striking Iran in a post on Truth Social on Thursday afternoon.
“At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets,” he added.
Trump said that his preference “has always been” to take Kharg Island, but that he wasn’t sure if “America has the stomach for it,” in a call with Fox also on Thursday.
Trump also addressed difficulties with negotiations with Iran, specifying that at one point, Iran would not agree not to buy as well as to not develop nuclear weapons, until they were convinced a day later.
Trump says Kurds were sent weapons, let the US down
Trump told Fox that the Kurds had let the US down after weapons were delivered to be distributed to the Iranian people during the January protests that predated the war.
When asked for his message to the Iranian people, Trump said that they were scared due to the arms disparity between the IRGC and unarmed protesters.
“We sent weapons and the Kurds let us down,” Trump said, adding that he had initially been against the plan to send the weapons to the Kurds, believing they would keep them instead of distributing them.
Notably, The Jerusalem Post reported that early on in the war, Israel had hoped to utilize the Iraqi and Iranian Kurds, who had received weapons from both the CIA and the Mossad, but that Trump had vetoed the operation.
Iran’s enemies must accept ceasefire or face ‘decisive’ response, Defense Ministry spokesperson says
Iranian Defense Ministry spokesperson Reza Taleinik said that Iran’s armed forces were at the highest level of readiness, and that Iran’s enemies must accept a ceasefire, on Thursday.
“Any crossing of the Islamic Republic’s red lines by the enemy will face a decisive, regret-inducing and harsh punitive response,” Taleinik said.
Iran’s top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said on Thursday the United States would receive a more severe response than before if it attacks Iran.
“Considering recent US threats against Iran’s oil infrastructure, either oil and gas exports are for everyone, or they will be available for no one,” the command said in a statement carried by state media, adding the war would become more widespread and extensive, causing insecurity in the region.
Yonah Jeremy Bob and Reuters contributed to this report.