Trump says he canceled Iran strikes as talks near possible deal
The US president said planned attacks on Iran were halted after a reported diplomatic breakthrough, hours after threatening oil sites.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
US President Donald Trump said he canceled another round of planned strikes on Iran after talks with Tehran appeared to move toward a deal, Al Jazeera reported. The shift came hours after Trump threatened attacks on Kharg Island and other Iranian oil facilities, raising fears of a wider conflict.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that negotiations had been raised to Iran’s top leadership and that the remaining parts of an agreement had been approved by the United States, regional allies and other parties, according to Al Jazeera. The reported pause would have stopped what Al Jazeera described as a third consecutive night of planned US attacks on Iran.
Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Tehran reported that a senior Iranian official confirmed Iran’s top leadership was reviewing a proposed memorandum of understanding with Washington. The report did not give the text of the proposal or say what terms were still unresolved.
Tehran weighs a possible agreement
Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall, reporting from Tehran, said many Iranians would welcome an end to the war after months of losses and hardship. He reported that Iranian authorities were also presenting a possible deal as a win for the country.
According to Vall, the government’s message to Iranians is that the suffering could be justified if Iran emerges from the war in a stronger position. He said officials were pointing to the possibility of sanctions relief and the release of frozen assets as part of that argument.
US pressure and diplomacy
Richard Weitz, an international security expert at the NATO Defense College, told Al Jazeera that Trump’s threat to intensify the conflict may have been meant to force a diplomatic opening. He described the approach as threatening escalation to bring about an end to fighting.
Weitz also cautioned that the details remained unclear. He told Al Jazeera there was still uncertainty about what had been agreed and how any arrangement would be carried out.
Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett, reporting from Washington, said Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have shared the goal of limiting Iran’s nuclear programme and preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. She reported that concern had grown inside the White House that Netanyahu could disrupt diplomatic efforts.
Halkett said Trump had tried in recent weeks to hold Netanyahu back and give diplomacy more time. Al Jazeera reported that Trump described the effort as allowing time for negotiations.
Hezbollah reports attacks in Lebanon
In Lebanon, Hezbollah said it carried out 24 attacks on Israeli forces between Wednesday and Thursday, according to Al Jazeera. The Lebanese armed group said the attacks used drones, missiles and rockets against soldiers, armoured vehicles and military positions.
Hezbollah said it repeatedly hit troop concentrations near Tayr Harfa, Al Jazeera reported. The group also said it attacked Israeli forces in Naqoura, al-Qaouzah, Rashaf, Qantara, Zawtar al-Sharqiyah and Yohmor al-Shaqif.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.