President Trump canceled planned strikes against Iran on Thursday and claimed the country’s leadership has approved a draft agreement to extend a ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and launch 60 days of nuclear negotiations, signaling what he described as the final stages of a deal to end the three-month war.
Trump announced the decision on Truth Social, stating: “Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have, as President of the United States of America, cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening.” He said the final points had been approved by the U.S., Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, and Egypt, according to Axios.
The announcement came hours after Trump had threatened the day before to strike Iran “very hard tonight,” according to multiple sources including the New York Times and CNN. Trump told reporters that the memorandum of understanding could be signed over the weekend in Europe and that Vice President Vance was expected to lead the U.S. delegation, according to Axios.
The proposed deal would extend the existing ceasefire by 60 days, reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz that the U.S. has blockaded since April, and initiate talks on Iran’s nuclear program, according to Axios and CNN. Three sources briefed on the talks told Axios that key gaps had been narrowed during negotiations between Iranian officials and Qatari mediators on Wednesday, particularly on the mechanism for releasing Iran’s frozen assets, arrangements for reopening the Strait, and how nuclear talks would be conducted.
Iran Disputes Trump’s Account of Deal Status
Iran’s Foreign Ministry rejected Trump’s characterization of the agreement’s status. “Most of the text had already been finalized, but the Americans kept changing their positions,” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said, according to Axios. “Iran has not yet reached a final decision regarding an agreement,” he added.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, quoted an informed source saying “no text for a preliminary memorandum of understanding with the United States has been approved,” according to Axios. However, a later report from the same outlet claimed the U.S. had accepted Iran’s proposed text, suggesting the regime could “reconsider and review the agreement once again,” per Axios.
The dispute over the deal’s status reflects months of stalled negotiations. On May 28, 2026, U.S. and Iranian negotiators reached a tentative framework agreement to extend the ceasefire by 60 days and launch nuclear talks, according to CNN, Euronews, and Reuters. However, Trump subsequently asked for amendments to the deal his envoys had negotiated, according to Axios. On June 9, Iran rejected the Trump administration’s proposal for a new nuclear deal but announced plans to present a counteroffer through Omani mediators, according to Wikipedia.
Trump has repeatedly claimed a deal was imminent over the past three weeks. On June 9, he said an agreement could be reached in “two or three days,” according to CNBC. The White House has believed a deal was imminent at several points during the conflict, only to see negotiations break down again, according to Axios. The blockade of Iran will remain “until this transaction is finalized,” Trump said, and Iran would agree to never have a nuclear weapon, according to his statement on Truth Social.
Sources
- Axios — Trump’s announcement, Iran’s denial, deal terms, and behind-the-scenes negotiation details
- CNN — Tentative May 28 agreement, ceasefire extension details
- NBC News — Trump’s claim that deal could be signed in days, Iranian state media response
- The New York Times — Trump’s threat to strike and subsequent cancellation
- Reuters — May 28 tentative agreement, blockade status
- Euronews — May 28 tentative framework agreement
- Wikipedia — June 9 Iranian rejection of proposal and counteroffer announcement
- CNBC — Trump’s June 9 statement on deal timeline
