Trump Cancels Iran Strikes Over Deal Claim; Tehran Denies Final Pact

President Donald Trump announced Thursday evening that he had canceled planned U.S. strikes on Iran after claiming negotiations had reached a breakthrough with Iranian leadership. The move followed hours of public warnings that American forces would hit Iranian targets hard, including threats to seize Kharg Island, the country's main oil export terminal.

Trump stated on social media that final points of an agreement had been approved at the highest levels in Tehran and that a signing could occur soon, possibly in Europe. He added that a naval blockade would stay in place until any deal is complete. Hours earlier, he had declared the United States would take control of Iranian oil infrastructure in the near future.

Republican lawmakers voiced immediate reservations. Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, a consistent Trump supporter, warned that the approach risked repeating the pattern that led to deeper involvement in Vietnam and noted the rising costs already felt by American households through higher energy prices. Representative Nick LaLota of New York said he opposed sending ground troops and left open the possibility of supporting a congressional vote to limit authorization for further action.

Iranian officials pushed back on the idea that an accord was finalized. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said large sections of a proposed memorandum remained under review by decision-making bodies and that Tehran would not compromise on its core positions. Iranian state media described reports of an approved deal as speculation.

The rapid shifts in statements occurred against a backdrop of three months of conflict that has already driven up global energy costs and contributed to renewed inflation pressures in the United States. Oil prices fell sharply Friday on news of the canceled strikes, dropping below $88 a barrel at one point, though analysts attributed much of the movement to headline reactions rather than confirmed changes in supply routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

Military preparations had advanced close to execution before the cancellation. Reports indicated U.S. naval units had positioned for strikes on surveillance, communications, and air defense sites when the order was withdrawn. Earlier strikes had damaged water storage facilities in southern Iran, prompting questions from legal observers about whether those targets met standards for military necessity.

The episode illustrates the recurring pattern in which public pressure on an adversary produces both short-term leverage and longer-term uncertainty about outcomes. Economic data from recent weeks show households facing elevated fuel and goods prices while policymakers weigh the trade-offs of sustained involvement abroad. Historical records of similar interventions suggest that initial expectations of quick resolution often give way to extended commitments whose full costs emerge only gradually.