WASHINGTON — U.S.-Iran peace talks remained active on Friday despite continued uncertainty over a final agreement, after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew a proposal to seize Iran’s strategic Kharg Island oil export hub and canceled planned military strikes against Iran, according to statements from U.S. and Iranian officials.
Trump said on Thursday that negotiations with Tehran had advanced and that he had called off strikes that had been scheduled for later that day. In a social media post and subsequent remarks, Trump said discussions had reached senior levels of Iran’s leadership and described prospects for an agreement positively. Reuters reported that the planned strikes were canceled amid what the president characterized as diplomatic progress.
Hours earlier, Trump had threatened to strike Iran “very hard” and said the United States could take control of Kharg Island, a key facility through which most of Iran’s crude oil exports pass. By later Thursday, however, he said an operation against the island was “off the table for now,” signaling a potential easing of tensions.
Iran responded cautiously. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran had “not reached a final conclusion on the agreement” and that reports concerning the timing and location of any signing ceremony remained speculative. Iranian officials also said certain issues remained unresolved and accused Washington of changing positions during negotiations.
“We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran and we're going to be subject to finalisation of documents,” Trump told reporters on Thursday, while adding that documentation could be completed within days. Iranian officials did not confirm that characterization.
The talks are taking place after months of conflict and intermittent diplomacy. Mediation efforts involving regional partners have focused on issues including navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions, security arrangements and broader political understandings between Washington and Tehran, according to officials and public reports.
Despite signs of diplomatic movement, military tensions have not fully subsided. Reports on Friday indicated that security incidents continued in and around the Strait of Hormuz, while both sides maintained differing accounts of the status of negotiations.
As of Friday, no final peace agreement had been announced. U.S. officials continued to express optimism about ongoing negotiations, while Iranian officials said discussions were continuing and that no definitive decision had yet been made.
