Trump says Iran deal near completion and cancels planned strikes
President Trump announced that a settlement with Iran is almost finalized and that scheduled attacks on Tehran have been called off, while Iranian officials say the text is mostly finalized.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told Iranian state television that the text of a deal with the United States to end the conflict is "mostly finalized," adding that contradictions in the U.S. position have created turbulence in the process. President Donald Trump said negotiators are close to an agreement and that a signing ceremony could be held in Europe as early as the weekend, noting that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen once the deal is finalized. A Reuters source indicated Geneva as a possible venue for a Sunday signing.
Hudson Institute senior fellow Rebeccah Heinrichs told Fox & Friends First that she does not expect a memorandum of understanding with Tehran and argued that the United States must continue to use force in the Strait of Hormuz, saying the IRGC "continues to fire at us" and that the U.S. should "force our way through" to keep oil flowing. She also said the administration’s red lines – no money to the regime, no lifting of the blockade until the IRGC allows safe passage, and full nuclear dismantlement – make a deal unlikely.
U.S. defense officials reported that Iran launched drones toward commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday night, prompting U.S. forces to shoot down two one-way attack drones. Despite the incident, maritime traffic continued. The report came as Trump reiterated optimism about a pending agreement and declared that the conflict was effectively over.
