Key facts
- President Trump announced the cancellation of planned military strikes against Iran.
- Trump claimed Iran had contacted him to halt bombing, a claim denied by Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
- The U.S. had previously launched 49 Tomahawk missiles.
- Indirect negotiations between Iran and the U.S. are ongoing, focusing on an interim deal and the release of frozen funds.
- Iran is seeking the release of $6 billion to $12 billion in frozen assets.
- President Trump stated Iran has agreed not to develop or acquire nuclear weapons.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he has canceled strikes against Iran that had been scheduled for later that evening. Trump also stated that Iran has agreed not to develop or acquire nuclear weapons, describing it as a key achievement of ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
Trump claimed Iran had contacted him to halt bombing, a claim denied by Iran's Revolutionary Guards. The U.S. had previously launched 49 Tomahawk missiles. Gulf leaders reportedly contacted President Trump to urge him to halt potential military action against Iran, an intervention that appears to have been successful in preventing an attack.
Iran and the United States are engaged in indirect negotiations concerning an interim deal to de-escalate hostilities, with a significant focus on the release of frozen Iranian funds. Three Iranian sources and a European official revealed that while a political understanding has been reached, details remain to be finalized, particularly regarding the mechanism for releasing tens of billions of dollars in frozen oil revenues. Tehran is reportedly seeking the release of $6 billion to $12 billion of its funds, while Washington insists on a phased release for humanitarian goods and rejects returning the money directly to Iran.
Sources indicate that Iran's primary objective is to secure breathing room for its economy by unlocking frozen assets and ending the current conflict. The ongoing U.S. blockade on Iranian ports and Iran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz continue to exert pressure, driving economic costs and leaving the risk of renewed fighting unresolved.