Lead

US President Donald Trump announced he had cancelled planned military strikes on Iran, saying that negotiations with Tehran had reached the highest levels of Iranian leadership and that the final points of an agreement had been approved by all parties involved. The decision, announced on his Truth Social platform, came just hours after he had threatened to hit Iran "very hard" and to target Kharg Island and other oil facilities.

According to the South China Morning Post, Trump's post read: "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 added that the "time and place of the signing" would be announced shortly.

Coverage Comparison

Reporting on the cancellation was consistent across several international outlets. Al Jazeera described the announcement as a "dramatic turnaround" after earlier warnings, and noted that a senior Iranian official had confirmed that a proposed memorandum of understanding was being considered by Iran's top leadership. Deutsche Welle and the South China Morning Post also reported that the talks had reached the highest levels of the Iranian leadership and been approved by all parties involved.

The Jerusalem Post, citing US officials via NBC, reported that the military had been three hours away from striking Iran when the order was cancelled. According to those officials, Navy ships had already adjusted operations and readied munitions. The planned strikes were meant to be "very similar" to those carried out the previous night, the officials said, though Kharg Island was not on the target list.

Yonhap News Agency reported from Washington that Trump said a peace agreement was in "pretty final shape" and could be signed in Europe over the weekend. Trump also indicated that the Strait of Hormuz would officially open after the signing.

Key Claims

  • Trump cancelled planned strikes on Iran, citing that discussions had been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved by all parties involved. This was reported by Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle, the South China Morning Post, and Yonhap.
  • The final points of an agreement had been approved by all parties, according to Trump. Deutsche Welle reported his statement listing the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, and Egypt as countries that approved the discussions.
  • Iran's top leadership was reviewing a proposed US deal. Al Jazeera cited a senior Iranian official, while the South China Morning Post reported that talks reached the highest levels of Iran's leadership.
  • The agreement could be signed in Europe over the weekend. Yonhap reported Trump's remarks that it could be signed "maybe over the weekend in Europe."
  • The Strait of Hormuz will officially open after the signing. This was reported by Yonhap, citing Trump.
A claim that Hezbollah carried out 24 attacks on Israeli forces was carried by Al Jazeera. Another claim, made by the Jerusalem Post, was that US President Donald Trump's announcement of a new agreement with Iran "has been greeted with applause across the world." That report noted that markets rallied and oil prices fell, but also questioned what exactly had changed.

The Jerusalem Post also reported that Gulf and South Asian leaders called Trump to ask him to call off the strikes. According to that report, the calls came from Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Pakistani defense chief Asim Munir, who assured Trump that a preliminary agreement was at hand.

TASS reported that Iranian officials had handed over a proposed peace deal to the US via Qatari mediators. That report, citing CNN, said Qatar helped resolve some remaining points of contention, including procedures for future talks on the nuclear program and easing sanctions pressure.

Perspectives

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan

TASS reported that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Trump demonstrated his readiness to settle the conflict with Iran, despite Israel’s objections. Fidan said, "Indeed, Mr. Trump has demonstrated his readiness to act. He ignored Israel’s objections on this matter and Iran positively reacted to the will he displayed, and the agreement was ultimately signed." He expressed hope that technical negotiations would be completed within 60 days.

Jerusalem Post Commentary

The Jerusalem Post featured commentary describing two interpretations of the agreement. One view holds that Trump may be making a calculated decision to buy time, given economic pressures such as rising oil prices and inflation. The other view, implied in the commentary, questions whether signing with Iran changes the nature of the regime, its nuclear ambitions, or its calls for the destruction of Israel.

Iranian Military Command

Deutsche Welle reported that Iran's top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned of a more severe response if the US attacks again. The statement, carried by state media, said, "Considering recent US threats against Iran's oil infrastructure, either oil and gas exports are for everyone or they will be available for no one."

Trump Administration

Trump himself has presented the agreement as a success. In a virtual tele-rally, he said, "I don't know if you heard, but we ended the war with Iran today, and they agreed they will never have a nuclear weapon," as reported by the Jerusalem Post. He also said regime change was not a primary concern, as reported by TASS, saying "This is the third group we've dealt with, and this is the most rational group yet."