On one hand, Donald Trump has announced a halt to the war, while at the very same moment the US military shot two Iranian drones out of the sky. According to a US official, late on Thursday night American forces brought down two Iranian drones that were attempting to target commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The official told NBC News, "It appears that Iran tried tonight to attack commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The US military shot down two Iranian 'one-way attack drones.' Ships are still moving through the strait."
Will Iran Respond to the US Strike? Here Are the Latest War Updates
US President Donald Trump has hinted that this time he may genuinely succeed in brokering an agreement with Iran, paving the way to end the war. On Thursday, Trump said that the United States and Iran could agree on a deal as early as this weekend — one that would set the course for ending the war that has been going on for the past 3 months. The conflict has been deeply unpopular among the American public and has also caused volatility in global oil markets. He added that if the deal is sealed, he is planning to send US Vice President JD Vance to attend the signing ceremony. Trump's remarks have further raised expectations about US-Iran relations and the prospects of a ceasefire in the coming days.
According to Iranian media, under this possible agreement a 60-day window would be set for negotiations on Iran's nuclear program. During this period, major issues such as uranium stockpiles, easing of sanctions, and long-term commitments would be discussed.
Trump said that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Motba Khamenei is ready to approve the deal. According to reports, Khamenei was injured on the very first day of the war and has not appeared in public since. However, two sources familiar with the matter told Axios that by Thursday evening the agreement had received approval from Iran's senior officials, but Khamenei had likely not yet signed off on it.
Four US Air Force planes have been dispatched to Europe to prepare for the signing of the possible peace deal between the United States and Iran. According to an Axios report, these aircraft carried essential equipment and logistical material for US Vice President JD Vance. Vance is expected to sign the agreement on behalf of the United States.
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a peace agreement between the United States and Iran could be signed within just a few days. He also claimed that the Strait of Hormuz has in fact been open for several months. He said, "...this strait is about to open very soon. The signing of this deal might happen on Saturday or Monday... We think this process will move along quite quickly. I don't want to give any deadline, because if I give a deadline, you'll say they didn't meet it... but this agreement will definitely be signed. And this strait is open. In fact, this strait has been open for months — you just didn't know about it... Only yesterday I said that we have moved many ships through there and brought millions and billions of barrels of oil out from there..."
Leaders of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Pakistan spoke with US President Donald Trump. Trump had warned that there could be a "very powerful strike on Iran tonight," after which these leaders urged him not to take any immediate action. According to an administration official, it helped to convince them that an initial agreement was imminent, which led them to back away from the strike plan. According to reports, these phone calls were made by Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir.
Kuwait said that Iranian attacks on its territory on Thursday morning damaged an airport radar and injured several people. In a letter to the International Civil Aviation Organization, Kuwait's civil aviation authority said, "This morning the airport radar was targeted." It added that the attack injured many people and caused heavy damage to radar facilities, equipment, and the air traffic management system.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday withdrew his threat to carry out further strikes on Iran and said that a deal with Tehran to end the war could be reached in the coming days. Claiming that talks with Iran "had reached the highest level of Iranian leadership and had received approval," Trump said that he had "cancelled the planned strike and bombing on Iran scheduled for this evening."
