Trump says Iran strikes were canceled as Tehran weighs draft deal
Trump said planned US attacks on Iran were called off, while Iranian officials said a draft agreement remains under review.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
US President Donald Trump said he canceled planned strikes on Iran after what he described as progress in talks with Tehran, Al Jazeera reported. Iranian officials, however, have not confirmed a final deal, saying a proposal remains under review by the country’s senior leadership.
Trump said the United States had called off “scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran” and that an agreement with Tehran could be signed as soon as this weekend, according to Al Jazeera. The statement followed earlier warnings from Trump that Iran would be hit “very hard,” Al Jazeera reported.
In Tehran, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran had accepted much of the draft language in a possible agreement but still had “red lines,” according to Al Jazeera. Mohamed Vall, reporting for Al Jazeera from Tehran, said Iranian officials described a positive understanding around a memorandum of understanding but said any signing remained subject to further consideration.
Tehran says proposal is still under review
According to Vall, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the proposal is being studied by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other top officials. The ministry also said reports about the timing or location of a signing were likely speculative at this stage, Vall reported.
Vall said Iranian officials viewed the draft as close to an earlier understanding reached in principle through Pakistani mediation before recent strikes. He reported that Iranian officials accused Washington of seeking changes to the proposal and trying to present any Iranian acceptance as the result of military pressure.
Iranian officials remain cautious about US intentions, Vall reported. He said Tehran’s position is that the two sides may be close on parts of the proposal, while Iran is still examining details and does not fully trust that Washington will keep to the diplomatic track.
Hezbollah reports attacks in Lebanon
Separately, Hezbollah said it carried out 24 attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley from Wednesday through Thursday, Al Jazeera reported. The Lebanese armed group said it used drones, missiles and rockets against Israeli soldiers, armored vehicles and positions.
Hezbollah said the al-Rajman area near Tayr Harfa was hit four times, according to Al Jazeera. The group also said it targeted Israeli troop and vehicle gatherings in Naqoura, al-Qaouzah, Rashaf, al-Qantara, Zawtar al-Sharqiyah and Yohmor al-Shaqif.
Al Jazeera reported that Israeli forces continued attacks across Lebanon, including a strike in Tyre on Thursday that injured 10 hospital staff. Israel’s army said it had taken “operational control” of territory north of Lebanon’s Wadi Saluki stream, about 10km, or six miles, inside Lebanese territory from the Israeli border, according to Al Jazeera.
Other developments
India’s Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said three missing Indian seafarers were killed in a US attack on an oil tanker in the Gulf on Wednesday, Al Jazeera reported. No further details were provided in Al Jazeera’s update.
The World Bank warned that the war on Iran could push global growth to its weakest level since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Al Jazeera. The warning came as fighting involving the United States, Israel, Iran and Lebanon continued to affect the region.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.