President Donald Trump has raised expectations that a deal to end the three-month-old war with Iran could be finalized this weekend, potentially during his trip to Europe for the G7 summit. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump said he believes Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since being wounded on the first day of the conflict, is ready to sign off on an agreement.
Trump described the emerging deal as "very strong" but acknowledged it remains "a little conceptual." He said it would ensure Iran is blocked from ever developing a nuclear weapon, the stated goal of the U.S.-led campaign. The president also announced he plans to dispatch Vice President JD Vance to the signing ceremony.
However, a spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry told state television that mediators remain active but nothing has been finalized. The war, which began in March, has been broadly unpopular with Americans and has rattled global oil markets by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that previously carried about 20% of the world's oil supply.
Trump's latest claims come after a week of intensified back-and-forth strikes that rendered an early April ceasefire all but meaningless. On Thursday, Trump threatened to escalate the conflict by seizing control of Iran's Kharg Island oil facility, but later appeared to back away from that option, questioning whether Americans had the "stomach" for putting troops in harm's way.
Hours later, he announced he had canceled orders for "very hard" strikes and said a deal was close. Analysts suggest Trump is seeking both a victory lap and an exit ramp, but those goals may be incompatible.
The war will be a central topic at next week's G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, where Trump has frequently criticized allied leaders for resisting his calls to aid the U.S. and Israeli war effort.
Trump expressed optimism that an agreement could be reached before those talks, saying, "The strait will officially open as soon as we sign, which could be soon, very soon — maybe over the weekend in Europe."