President Donald Trump announced the cancellation of planned strikes against Iran on Thursday. He stated that Iran's leadership had "approved" a draft agreement aimed at extending the ceasefire, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and initiating 60 days of negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear program. Trump claimed that discussions had reached the highest levels of Iranian leadership, leading to the decision to cancel the strikes.
Three sources briefed on the negotiations indicated that key gaps were resolved during talks between Iranian officials and Qatari mediators on Wednesday. Trump mentioned that the final points of the deal had been approved by all parties involved, including the U.S., Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, and Egypt. He noted that a naval blockade would remain in effect until the agreement is finalized, with the time and place of the signing to be announced soon.
Negotiations continued late into Wednesday night, with Qatari envoy Ali Al-Thawadi and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi working to bridge remaining gaps. According to sources, the discussions focused on three key issues: the mechanism for releasing Iran's frozen assets, arrangements for reopening the Strait of Hormuz during the ceasefire, and the conduct of negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear program. Iranian officials indicated that the Tehran talks had produced an agreement in principle, pending final approval from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. The sources also noted that recent U.S. strikes had heightened Iranian suspicions about Trump's intentions.