Iran has stated that it has not reached a final decision on a deal to end the Middle East war, despite US President Donald Trump claiming that an agreement could be signed in days. The Iranian statement came on Friday, even as Trump announced he had canceled scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran.
Trump said that talks with Iran had been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved. He added that the time and place of the signing would be announced shortly. The president claimed that the finer points of the arrangement had been approved by the United States and its allies in the region, including Israel, with which Washington jointly launched the war in February.
However, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran had not reached a final conclusion on the agreement. He explained that most of the text of the agreement was finalized, but the problem began when the US side made new demands and changed its positions.
The Tasnim news agency noted that Trump had announced a deal was imminent 38 times in the previous two months. The agency stated that until Iran announces the matter of a potential understanding, any news from Trump on this subject should be regarded the same as his previous messaging.
Trump later doubled down, telling reporters “I understand the answer is yes” when asked if Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had approved the deal. He posted that discussions and final points had been approved by all parties involved, including the United States, Israel, and Gulf states, both in concept and great detail.
The potential agreement with Iran would include the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Trump. Regional allies argued that serious negotiations with Iran were making progress and convinced him to hold off on further strikes.
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