Former President Donald Trump declared the conflict with Iran effectively over on Thursday, announcing a comprehensive settlement that he claimed would lead to the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The announcement came just hours after Trump reportedly pulled back from a planned military operation against Iran.
Trump's Claims: A 'Great Settlement'
Speaking from the White House, Trump asserted that a deal had been reached, pending the finalization of documents within days. He suggested a formal signing ceremony could take place in Europe, with Vice President JD Vance representing the United States.
A key aspect of Trump's declaration was the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. He stated, "The Strait of Hormuz will open as soon as we have it signed." This waterway, crucial for global energy markets, has been largely closed to shipping since hostilities began in February, causing significant pressure on oil prices.
Trump also claimed the proposed agreement included a firm commitment from Iran to never develop nuclear weapons. "We have a deal that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, which was the whole purpose of what we had to go through to get this," he said, adding that Iran would neither purchase nor develop such weapons under the future accord. He further indicated that Iran's Supreme Leader had personally endorsed the deal, though he did not provide specific details on this.
Earlier in the day, Trump had posted on Truth Social that negotiators had achieved broad agreement on both the framework and specific details, with approval from numerous regional parties including Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, and Egypt.
Iran's Rebuttal: No Final Conclusion
Despite Trump's optimistic pronouncements, Tehran was not prepared to confirm his characterization of events. Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, told state television that Iran had not yet reached a final conclusion on any agreement.
"Iran has not yet reached a final conclusion regarding an agreement," Baghaei stated, while acknowledging that much of the proposed text had already been agreed upon.
He accused Washington of making "excessive demands" and introducing "new requests" during the negotiations. Baghaei emphasized that Iran would not "give way under pressure" or "depart from its red lines." Iranian officials have consistently maintained that their nuclear program is peaceful and that Tehran has never sought nuclear weapons.
Regional Context and Previous Attempts
When questioned about his confidence in this round of talks compared to previous unsuccessful attempts, Trump attributed the progress to Iran having "taken a pounding." He suggested Iran's "level of enthusiasm" for a deal had significantly increased in recent weeks. Trump also claimed to have spoken with leaders across the region, including Gulf allies and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, all of whom he said were "very happy."
The discrepancy between the two sides' statements leaves the status of a potential Iran war settlement and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz uncertain.