Washington/Tehran: US President Donald Trump on Friday claimed that the United States had effectively ended its conflict with Iran and asserted that Tehran would never acquire nuclear weapons.
Speaking during a virtual rally with supporters, Trump said the war had been brought to an end and expressed confidence that Iran would not develop a nuclear arsenal.
However, Iran swiftly rejected the claim. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said no final decision had been reached on any peace agreement and cautioned against premature conclusions regarding negotiations between the two countries.
Earlier, Trump told reporters at the White House that Iran’s Supreme Leader had approved the framework of a new agreement and suggested that a formal peace deal could be signed in Europe later this week. He added that Vice President JD Vance could participate in the signing ceremony if discussions progressed as expected.
The developments come amid heightened tensions in the region following a series of maritime and military incidents. Reports indicate that three Indian sailors were among those killed in an attack on the vessel MT Settebello near the Oman coast. The ship was carrying Indian crew members at the time of the incident.
According to reports, several commercial vessels, including Marivex, Settebello and Jalveer, have come under attack near the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, raising concerns about maritime security in one of the world’s most strategically important shipping routes.
India has reportedly conveyed its concerns to the United States following an attack on the Indian-crewed vessel MT Jalveer and urged that such incidents be prevented.
Trump had earlier warned of possible military action against Iranian oil facilities and suggested that further strikes remained an option. However, he later indicated that plans for additional airstrikes had been put on hold, citing progress in discussions with Iranian leaders.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military claimed it had carried out extensive operations against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon over the past week, striking hundreds of positions and killing dozens of militants. Israeli forces also reported operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where multiple arrests were made.
Despite diplomatic efforts, uncertainty continues to surround the prospects of a formal agreement between Washington and Tehran, with both sides offering differing assessments of the current state of negotiations.
