Trump Calls Off Next Strikes, Says Iran Deal Could Be 'Maybe Over the Weekend'; Tehran Says Not Final

President Trump spent Thursday moving from loud threats of another round of strikes to an abrupt cancellation and a headline-friendly prediction that a peace deal with Iran could be signed "maybe over the weekend." He claimed the agreement was "in pretty final shape," but offered few concrete details.

Speaking in the Oval Office, the president said Vice President JD Vance might join talks in Europe and that Iran’s supreme leader had approved the proposal. He also tied the deal to a resumption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz while acknowledging that thorny nuclear questions were still being discussed "conceptually."

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman countered that nothing had been finalized. Israel, which joined the U. S. in the fighting, said it was not part of the deal and has generally been excluded from the negotiations.

The comments came after a week of rapid escalation. A U. S. Apache helicopter was downed over the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, two nights of U. S. airstrikes followed and Iran attempted strikes on sites in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain. Top U. S. officials framed recent action as pressure to force a diplomatic settlement rather than retaliation for a single incident.

Analysts have flagged worrying evidence from satellite images suggesting one U. S. strike hit a drinking-water facility, a hit now under military investigation and one that could have serious legal implications if confirmed. Meanwhile, commercial shipping has been battered: multiple vessels were struck in recent days and India reported both rescues and fatalities among crew.

The war is straining the global economy. The European Central Bank raised interest rates as inflation rose, the World Bank warned of slowing global growth tied to higher energy costs, and oil prices dipped more than 3 percent below $90 a barrel after the president’s announcement that planned strikes were off.

Control of the Strait of Hormuz remains contested. Iran said the key shipping lane was closed to all vessels, while the U. S. military said it was not closed and has escorted a small number of ships through a route that is a fraction of normal traffic since the conflict began.

For now, sweeping claims and last-minute cancellations are stacking up against cautious denials and ongoing fighting. Monday’s timetable for a possible deal may please calendar-watchers, but until negotiators produce verifiable steps on the ground, the region and the world will be watching, and waiting.