Trump Says War With Iran Is ‘Ended’ as He Cancels Further U.S. Strikes
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump said Thursday that the war with Iran had been “ended” after he announced that he had canceled additional U.S. military strikes against the Islamic Republic, citing progress toward an agreement over Tehran’s nuclear program.
“I don’t know if you heard, but we ended the war with Iran today,” Trump said during a tele-rally supporting Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is running for governor.
Trump said Iran had agreed not to develop a nuclear weapon, describing that commitment as the central objective of the U.S. campaign.
“They have agreed never to have a nuclear weapon, something that we insisted on; that was the whole purpose. That was 95 percent of it,” Trump said.
The president said a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would remain in place until a formal agreement was completed. He indicated that representatives from the countries involved could meet in Switzerland to finalize the arrangement, with reports suggesting a signing could take place as soon as Sunday, ahead of the G7 summit.
Trump said he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other regional leaders about the proposed agreement and the framework of the negotiations.
In a statement posted to Truth Social, Trump said discussions with Iran had reached the “highest level” of its leadership and that the proposed terms had been approved by the parties involved. He said the scheduled U.S. strikes against Iran had therefore been canceled.
Trump also said the naval blockade would remain “in full force and effect” until the transaction was finalized.
Netanyahu’s office later confirmed that the two leaders had spoken. Israel said it was not a direct participant in the negotiations but welcomed Trump’s insistence that any final agreement impose significant restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program and address other destabilizing activities.
The Strait of Hormuz remained a major focus of the confrontation. Roughly one-quarter of the world’s seaborne oil shipments and about one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas exports pass through the strategic waterway, making any disruption potentially significant for global energy markets.
Financial markets responded positively to signs of a possible diplomatic breakthrough. European stocks rose sharply Friday, with the pan-European Stoxx 600 gaining 1.8% and several major indexes advancing around 2% during morning trading.
Oil prices also declined as traders assessed a lower risk of prolonged supply disruptions. U.S. crude futures for July delivery fell 1.61%, while August Brent crude, the international benchmark, dropped 1.75%, according to CNBC.
The announcement followed a dramatic escalation earlier in the week. Trump had personally warned Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst about impending U.S. military action against Iran shortly before American forces launched another round of strikes against Iranian military infrastructure.
According to Yingst, Trump called him from the Situation Room before the operation and described the impending military action.
Afterward, Trump said on Truth Social that Iran’s military had suffered severe damage following the failure of negotiations.
“Iran’s Military is a complete and total mess,” Trump wrote, claiming that significant portions of Iran’s naval and air capabilities “doesn’t even exist anymore.”
He also warned that Iranian leaders would “pay the price” for delaying negotiations.
U.S. Central Command said additional self-defense strikes began at 5:15 p.m. Eastern Time Thursday against multiple targets in Iran at the direction of the president.
The latest developments left the proposed diplomatic agreement, the future of the naval blockade and Iran’s commitments on its nuclear program at the center of international attention.
