UMVA has learned that U.S. President Donald Trump has called off his planned Thursday night strikes on Iran, hinting that a deal is close to being signed.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, the president said the agreement could be finalized as early as this weekend, and that the deal had reached its final points with Tehran’s leadership.
When asked whether Iran’s Supreme Leader had agreed, Trump replied, “I understand the answer is yes,” while clarifying that the pact had not yet been sealed.
Earlier Thursday, Trump had warned that the United States would seize Kharg Island and other oil infrastructure, vowing the military would strike Iran “very hard” that night.
During the same period, the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway that has been closed amid the Middle East conflict, remained shut to all marine traffic.
The announcement followed U.S. Central Command’s claim that the waterway was still open, and the U.S. launched new attacks that Tehran retaliated against by targeting American assets across the region.
Three Indian nationals lost their lives after the U.S. military fired at a Palau-flagged tanker off the coast of Oman.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tehran had not yet signed off on any agreement with Washington, describing reports of a deal as speculative and noting that no final decision had been reached.
He also blamed the Americans for complicating the process, stating that the U.S. had repeatedly changed its positions and that actions along the Strait of Hormuz had made the situation more insecure.
Trump, however, insisted that the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran had been cancelled because the “final points” of a deal had been approved by all parties involved, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Egypt.
The president added that the naval blockade would remain in force until the transaction was finalized and that the signing would occur shortly.
The U.S. has also threatened to take control of Kharg Island, a vital oil export hub that handles about 90% of Iran’s crude, asserting that the island would be seized in the not-too-distant future.
Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz has been closed indefinitely, with authorities citing tensions created by American forces and advising those with transit permits to wait for further instructions.
In a tense back-and-forth, the U.S. and Iran exchanged attacks for the second consecutive day, targeting military and surveillance sites in southern Iran while Iran struck U.S. military assets in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.
Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the overnight strikes as a violation of a two-month ceasefire, labeling them “extremely serious” and “criminal.”
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired ballistic missiles at an American command centre in Jordan, while the Jordanian military intercepted 20 missiles launched toward the American base at Azraq, reporting no injuries or damage.
Three Indian nationals were killed aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello after the U.S. struck the tanker in the Gulf of Oman, an incident that drew condemnation from Indian officials and highlighted the deadly stakes of the naval blockade.
