President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran very hard on Thursday night, warning that the U.S. would seize control of the country's oil and gas infrastructure. Trump specifically targeted Kharg Island, a key export hub, stating that the U.S. would assume total control of these markets similar to actions taken in Venezuela. This threat followed several days of tit-for-tat strikes that had rendered a nominal ceasefire meaningless and pushed the Middle East closer to a full-scale war. U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had warned that the military would be busy ahead of the planned strikes.
In a sudden reversal hours later, President Trump announced he had canceled the scheduled strikes and bombings. He stated that the decision was based on the fact that discussions with the highest level of Iranian leadership had been approved. Trump claimed that final points of a deal had been approved by the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others.
While the strikes were called off, Trump noted that a naval blockade will remain in full force and effect until the transaction is finalized. He indicated that a peace deal, which would reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, could be signed as soon as this weekend. However, reports from Tehran have been conflicting; while the semi-official Fars news agency suggested an agreement was likely, other reports indicated that Iran had not approved the text of any agreement or denied movement toward a longer-term pact.