Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Washington, D.C., June 11, 2026 (Daniel Heuer/Reuters)
EA on International Outlets: Trump’s Failure After 100 Days of War on Iran
UPDATES: US-Israel Wars, Day 105 — Iran and US Escalate Attacks on Each Other
UPDATE 0547 GMT:
The US and Iran have returned to skirmishes in the Strait of Hormuz.
An American official said the US military shot down two Iranian drones that were trying to strike commercial ships in the waterway early Friday.
Iran’s Tasnim outlet says Iranian forces stopped an oil tanker from transiting through the Strait “after it entered the area without prior coordination”.
ORIGINAL ENTRY: Iran has pushed back Donald Trump’s claim — made only hours after Trump threatened a ground invasion to seize Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf — that Washington and Tehran will soon sign a framework deal to end the US war.
Trump posted on social media on Thursday afternoon that he was cancelling his threat of “scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening” because “discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved”.
He later told reporters that any operation to seize Kharg Island, through which 90% of Iran’s oil exports pass, had been put off.
Trump gave no details of the deal. Instead, he blustered that “discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved”, including the US, Israel, the Gulf States, Turkey, Pakistan, Jordan, and Egypt.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei responded that large parts of the framework deal with the US have been completed, but Tehran has not made a final decisiSheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thanion on approval.
He pushed back Trump’s claims, stating that reports regarding a time and place of signing the agreement remain speculative. Iran would not compromise on its “red lines”, as the Trump camp had repeatedly changed its position.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office emphasized that Israel “is not a party” to any memorandum of understanding.
Qatar’s Mediation
Qatar, which has replaced Pakistan as the primary mediator, and Iran have been working to complete the framework deal. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Qatari envoy Ali Al-Thawadi reportedly worked late into Wednesday night on an agreement.
Key issues include the release of frozen Iranian assets, management of a reopened Strait of Hormuz, and Iran’s nuclear program.
Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, spoke with Trump on Thursday.
A “diplomat briefed on the talks” said that the deal had largely been agreed to several weeks ago but there was still a “50% chance” that it would collapse. “There are a lot of potential spoilers,” they cautioned.
The basis for the mediation has been an Iranian two-stage proposal. In the first, arrangements would be established for the passage of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has controlled since early March. In return, US sanctions would be gradually lifted, some Iranian assets outside the country would be unfrozen, and the US naval blockade on Iranian ports would be lifted.
Iran’s nuclear program would be discussed in the second stage of talks.
The Trump Administration came close to accepting the terms almost three weeks ago. However, it backed away, apparently because of criticism that it was conceding too much to the Iranians.
US Military “Confused” By Trump Retreat
Two US officials said the US military was around three hours from launching strikes on Iran when Trump called them off with his claim of an imminent deal.
The military had selected targets, and the Navy had adjusted operational plans and readied munitions. The pattern would have been similar to American assaults on Iranian islands and southern coast on the previous two nights.
The officials said Trump’s abrupt cancellation “confused” the military.
