WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the United States had effectively brought its conflict with Iran to an end, saying he had ordered a halt to additional U.S. military strikes as Washington and Tehran moved toward negotiations aimed at securing a broader agreement.
Speaking during a tele-rally in support of Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ campaign for governor, Trump portrayed the development as a major turning point after months of escalating tensions and military confrontation.
“I don’t know if you heard, but we ended the war with Iran today,” Trump said.
Trump said the central objective of the U.S. campaign was preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He claimed Tehran had agreed to abandon any effort to develop one, describing the nuclear issue as “95 percent” of the reason for the military campaign.
“They have agreed never to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.
Despite declaring the conflict effectively over, Trump acknowledged that important issues remained unresolved. He said the U.S. naval blockade would remain in place around the Strait of Hormuz until a formal agreement was completed.
Diplomacy Takes Center Stage
Trump said American and Iranian representatives would meet in Switzerland to work out the final details of the proposed agreement, potentially paving the way for a formal deal within days.
The announcement followed a period of intense military escalation between Washington and Tehran. Trump said he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other regional leaders about the emerging diplomatic framework.
Netanyahu’s office confirmed the conversation, saying Israel supported efforts to ensure that any agreement would impose meaningful restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program and address other activities viewed by Israel as threats to regional security.
Israel, however, was not presented as a direct party to the U.S.-Iran negotiations.
Trump also said that discussions had reached Iran’s highest levels of leadership and that the progress made during those contacts persuaded him to cancel additional strikes that had been planned.
Strait of Hormuz Remains a Major Pressure Point
The Strait of Hormuz remained central to the negotiations because of its importance to global energy supplies. The narrow waterway is a critical route for international oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, meaning any prolonged disruption could have significant consequences for energy prices and the global economy.
The prospect of easing tensions initially lifted investor confidence. European markets moved higher as traders assessed the possibility that a diplomatic agreement could reduce the threat of prolonged disruption to energy supplies.
Oil prices also fell as investors anticipated that a reduction in military tensions could eventually restore greater stability to regional shipping.
Military Pressure Preceded the Diplomatic Opening
Trump’s announcement came after a sustained period of military pressure.
The president had repeatedly warned that Iran would face severe consequences if diplomatic efforts failed. He also said Iranian military capabilities had suffered extensive damage and warned Tehran’s leadership that delaying negotiations could result in additional attacks.
U.S. Central Command separately announced that American forces had carried out additional strikes against targets in Iran, describing the operations as actions taken in self-defense and at Trump’s direction.
The announcement therefore represented a sharp change in Washington’s public posture—from threats of further military action toward negotiations intended to establish a longer-term framework for ending hostilities.
A Deal Still Far From Certain
Despite Trump’s declaration that the war had ended, the proposed agreement remained incomplete. Key questions included the exact terms of Iran’s nuclear commitments, verification and enforcement mechanisms, the status of the U.S. blockade and the future of the Strait of Hormuz.
Those unresolved issues left the diplomatic process vulnerable to setbacks.
A successful agreement could have represented a significant breakthrough, potentially easing regional tensions, stabilizing energy markets and opening a new chapter in relations between Washington and Tehran.
But failure at the negotiating table could have quickly revived the threat of renewed military confrontation.
The later collapse of the June arrangement demonstrated how fragile the diplomatic process remained, with hostilities eventually resuming around the Strait of Hormuz.
For the moment described in Trump’s announcement, however, the White House was presenting diplomacy as the next phase of its Iran strategy—placing the burden on negotiators to transform a fragile pause in hostilities into a durable agreement.
