Trump says he called off Iran strikes as peace deal nears
Trump said planned U.S. strikes on Iran were canceled and that a peace signing could be announced soon, even as a naval blockade stays in place.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
President Trump said Thursday he canceled U.S. strikes planned against Iran and expects a peace agreement to be announced soon. The shift matters because it came after days of renewed threats against Tehran, while the war has disrupted a key energy route and added pressure on U.S. consumers.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said talks with Iran had reached the country’s top leadership and had been approved, leading him to stop the planned attacks for Thursday evening. He said the U.S. naval blockade would continue until the deal is completed, and that the timing and location of a signing would be announced shortly.
Trump later told reporters in the Oval Office that he expected the matter to be finished within days and said a signing could take place in Europe. Asked whether the sides had reached an agreement on nuclear issues, he said they had done so “conceptually.”
The announcement followed a sharply different message earlier Thursday. Trump had posted that the United States would attack Iran very hard that night, while also telling Fox News that negotiations were continuing.
Trump also wrote that the U.S. would move at some point to seize Iranian oil infrastructure, including Kharg Island. NPR reported that Kharg Island is a major Iranian oil site that has long been viewed by the U.S. military as a strategic target, though one with significant risk of U.S. casualties.
On Fox News, Trump said taking Kharg Island had been his preference, but he questioned whether the United States had the appetite for such an operation. Hours later, he was presenting a deal as close enough for a signing announcement.
The mixed signals reflect Trump’s effort to pressure Iran while also arguing that an end to the conflict is near. NPR reported that the war has lasted more than three months and that a fragile ceasefire has been in place since April, even as both sides have increasingly hit each other’s targets.
NPR also reported that Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that carries about 20% of the world’s energy supply. The disruption has come as gas and electricity prices have risen, and as polling cited by NPR shows Americans losing confidence in Trump’s message.
Jennifer Stromer-Galley, a professor of information studies at Syracuse University, told NPR that Trump appeared to be trying to shape public perception around the outcome he wants, even as events remain outside his control. She said his message also aims to reassure Americans that the war can still end as he promised if he is given more time.
For now, Trump’s stated position is that the U.S. will hold off on the strikes he had threatened while keeping the blockade in place. He has not announced a signed agreement, only that one is close.
This story draws on original reporting from NPR.