Trump says signing could take place in Europe this weekend; Strait of Hormuz to reopen upon deal; Trump emphasizes Iran's permanent renunciation of nuclear weapons; Iran foreign ministry calls timeline 'speculation'

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US President Donald Trump listens to a participant's remarks in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on Thursday. [Reuters]
US President Donald Trump listens to a participant's remarks in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on Thursday. [Reuters]

US President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran over ending hostilities have reached their final stage and that a signing ceremony could take place in Europe this weekend. Iran said no final decision has been made, however, leaving the conclusion of a memorandum of understanding dependent on further talks.

Speaking at an event in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump said, "We just made a great settlement with respect to the war with Iran," adding that only the final coordination of documents remained.

"It will be wrapped up in the next few days," he said. "Perhaps there will be a signing ceremony in Europe this weekend." He added that while he would not attend, Vice President JD Vance would represent the United States.

Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen and the US naval blockade of Iran would be lifted simultaneously with the signing of the agreement.

"The moment it's signed, the Strait of Hormuz will be open — and that could be Saturday," he said. "Most importantly, Iran has agreed to never have nuclear weapons. That is the ultimate goal of all of this," he said, calling it "a very big deal."

Trump described the memorandum as "somewhat conceptual in nature" but said it would be "a very strong and detailed document."

Asked whether Iran's supreme leadership had given its approval, he replied, "As I understand it, yes."

He also said he had discussed the agreement with leaders of key regional countries, including Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait.

Trump had signaled further airstrikes against Iran as recently as Friday morning, only to abruptly cancel the plans in the afternoon.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, he said he had called off "the strikes and bombings scheduled for the night of Friday," citing confirmation that discussions with Iran had been reported to and approved by the country's supreme leadership.

The United States had carried out airstrikes targeting Iranian military facilities over the previous two days, with a more intensive attack planned for Friday night.

Trump also said that seizing Kharg Island — Iran's largest crude oil export terminal — was "off the table for now." Earlier Friday morning, he had warned that the US could take control of Kharg Island and key energy facilities.

Iran, however, remained cautious.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told state-run IRNA news agency that "nothing has been finalized yet" and that reports about the timing and location of a signing were "all speculation."

He said that much of the draft agreement had been worked out, but that the US side had changed its position multiple times during the negotiations.

Still, signs of meaningful progress were evident.

Trump posted on social media that the agreement had received approval not only from Iran's supreme leadership but also from Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait.

Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency had earlier reported that the US had accepted a significant portion of Iran's demands and that the supreme leadership was likely to approve the deal.

The two sides appeared to have reached a substantial degree of common ground, but uncertainty remained over whether a final signing would materialize. Iran's formal supreme leadership approval, the scope of nuclear program restrictions, and the mechanism for sanctions relief were all cited as potential last-minute sticking points.

Meanwhile, Trump said the administration was also reviewing support measures for American farmers struggling with a sharp rise in fertilizer prices stemming from the conflict with Iran.


sjy@heraldcorp.com