Trump says U.S. has ended war with Iran, but Tehran has not confirmed any deal

President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he had canceled planned U.S. strikes and bombings against Iran after what he described as major progress in talks with Tehran. In a Truth Social post, Trump said discussions with the Islamic Republic had reached Iran’s highest leadership and been approved, and he suggested the two sides were very close to a peace agreement that could be signed as soon as this weekend.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump described the prospective deal as a “great settlement” that could help end the war. He said he expected a signing ceremony in the coming days, possibly in Europe, and said Vice President JD Vance might attend. Trump also said the latest military pressure had pushed Iran closer to agreement, arguing that Tehran had “taken a pounding” and now wanted a deal more than Washington did.

According to Trump, the arrangement would be a strong memorandum of understanding, though he also called it “a little conceptual.” He said Iran had agreed, in principle, to abandon efforts to pursue nuclear capabilities, and that the United States would end its blockade immediately once the agreement was signed. Trump also claimed that Iran’s supreme leader had supported the framework and that the deal would allow the U.S. to secure nuclear materials and stop Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon.

Iran’s response was more cautious. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency that reports of a finalized agreement with the United States were only speculation. He said Tehran had not reached a final decision on any deal and argued that U.S. actions were affecting the diplomatic process. Baghaei’s comments suggested that, despite Trump’s optimism, key terms remained unresolved.

Trump said the deal had drawn in several regional powers, naming the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Egypt as countries involved in the approvals. A Qatari delegation had reportedly been in Tehran this week for talks, and U.S. officials believed discussions between Iranian and Qatari representatives helped break through some of the remaining obstacles. One source familiar with the negotiations said mediators had made “some breakthroughs.”

The timeline of the negotiations has moved quickly. According to a person familiar with the matter, Iran sent its latest draft proposal through Qatari mediators earlier this week. Nearly two weeks earlier, Trump had sent back a draft with changes intended to strengthen the language on the nuclear issue.

Trump’s announcement appeared to surprise Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was reportedly in a security meeting about Iran when the post went public. Trump later said he spoke with Netanyahu and with leaders in several Gulf states. Markets reacted immediately, with oil prices falling and U.S. stocks rising sharply on hopes that the conflict could ease.

The situation remained uncertain, however, because Iran continued to insist that no final agreement had been reached. While Trump presented the talks as nearing completion, Tehran said negotiations were still open and that Washington’s actions were shaping the diplomatic outcome.