BAHRAIN: A damaged building and vehicle are seen in the aftermath of Iranian drone attacks.—Reuters • Announcement comes after US calls off Iran attacks • Oil drops after Washington backs down • IRGC strikes Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait after US bombs targets across Iran • Tehran says American attacks have rendered ceasefire ‘practically’ meaningless • Saudis call for Pakistan, Qatar-led efforts for renewed talks • Iran ‘completely’ closes Hormuz WASHINGTON / TEH­RAN: US President Donald Trump on Thursday said the United States and Iran could sign a peace deal as soon as this weekend that would reopen shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The agreement, if finalised, would be the most significant diplomatic breakthrough yet to end the three-month-old war, which has killed thousands of people and sent global energy prices sharply higher. Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported that Tehran is likely to approve the agreement, though it has yet to give a formal response. However, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said matters related to an agreement are speculation and nothing has been finalised, according to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency. “We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “The strait will officially open as soon as we sign, which could be soon, very soon, maybe over the weekend in Europe,” he said. Vice President JD Vance could sign for the United States, Trump added. When asked if Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has approved the deal, Trump said: “I understand the answer is yes.” Trump’s announcement came after he called off planned military strikes on Iran, citing progress in talks. Since mid-March, Trump has repeatedly claimed that a deal with Iran to end the war is close. The two sides have traded strikes throughout the week, straining a ceasefire announced in April. He called off planned strikes on Iran hours after threatening more bombings and a desire to “take” its oil export hub Kharg Island. That statement came after both sides attacked each other in the early hours of Thursday, putting an already-fragile ceasefire to the test. After the US attacked targets across Iran, the Iranian army responded with strikes on US targets in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait. In a statement posted on Truth Social, President Trump said, “Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have, as President of the United States of America, cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening.” He said “discussions and final points” have been approved by the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkiye, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt and others. “The Naval Blockade will remain in full force and effect until this Transaction is finalised — Time and place of the signing to be announced shortly,” he added. Oil prices fell after he cancelled plans to strike Iran within hours. Brent futures fell $2.50, or 2.7pc, to $90.60 a barrel by 1838 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell $2.32, or 2.6pc, to settle at $87.71 a barrel. Overnight strikes In response to the US strikes, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it fired ballistic missiles at a US command centre in Jordan and attacked the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. “During two waves of operations, eighteen important targets belonging to the US Army in the bases of Ali and Ahmad Ahmad Air Force (were hit),” the Guards said in a statement quoted by state-run IRNA, adding that they also “hit and destroyed Sheikh Isa air bases”. The US military, meanwhile, said that it targeted “Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems, and air defence sites across Iran”. “US Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy assets fired precision munitions on Iranian targets that posed a threat to US forces and international commercial ships transiting regional waters,” Central Command posted on X. The Fars news agency reported that explosions have been heard in the port city of Bandar Abbas, while citizens have reported hearing explosions in Kargan and Minab. Following these strikes, the US president warned of more attacks. The US will “be hitting Iran … very hard tonight”, he said, reiterating his claim that Iran’s military and “all other forms of defence” had been rendered inoperable. “At some point in the not-too-distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela,” he added in a post on Truth Social. Iran’s parliament speaker Bagher Ghalibaf, in an apparent warning to President Trump, said, “Wrong strategies and impulsive decisions will reset the entire board for the worse, explode energy infrastructure and markets and create an endless quagmire that you will be stuck in for years.” “You will see a different Iran.” Iran’s top joint military command, Khatam al-An­biya Central Headquar­ters, also warned the United States will receive a more severe response than before. “Considering recent US threats against Iran’s oil infrastructure, either oil and gas exports are for everyone, or they will be available for no one,” the command said in a statement carried by state media, adding that the war will become more widespread and extensive, causing insecurity in the region. Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the latest US strikes on the country, saying the attacks rendered the nearly two-month ceasefire “practically meaningless”. Calls for renewed talks As the situation escalated between the two countries, Saudi Arabia called for renewed negotiations under Pakistani and Qatari mediation to end the Middle East war. In a statement, the Saudi foreign ministry called for “de-escalation and restraint, urging all parties to prioritise wisdom by returning to diplomatic efforts and resuming the constructive negotiations sponsored by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, along with the efforts of the State of Qatar”. Pakistan also called for a “negotiated settlement”. Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pak­is­tan’s leadership would continue its mediation efforts to help end the war between the United States and Iran despite the recent escalation in the conflict. “Pakistan remains deeply concerned about the situation in the region, which has been marked by recent escalation. We are of the view that diplomacy and dialogue should be the guiding principles for achieving a negotiated settlement of all contentious issues,” he said during his weekly press briefing. The renewed strikes also prompted calls for de-escalation from the UN chief, China, Russia, Turkiye and the EU. Closure of Hormuz Earlier in the day, Iran’s new body overseeing the Strait of Hormuz confirmed a complete closure order for the strategic waterway until further notice, after the Revolutionary Guards announced the move overnight, AFP reported. “Due to the tensions caused by the aggression of the American forces in the region and the announcement made last night by the Iranian armed forces, the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice,” the Persian Gulf Strait Autho­rity said in a post on X. Meanwhile, Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal called for attacks on ships to cease, after three Indians were killed in a US attack on an oil tanker in the Gulf, Al Jazeera reports. Jaiswal told reporters that another ship, M/T Jalveer, was attacked by the US Navy. Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2026