IRAN WAR: Donald Trump says deal to end fighting ‘now complete’ despite Israeli concerns

Article content

An agreement to end fighting between the United States and Iran is “now complete,” according to Donald Trump, with an Iranian diplomat and key mediator Pakistan backing those assertions.

Article content

Trump announced what he said was the completion of the deal on Sunday evening in a post on Truth Social that was shared by an official White House social media account, ending his post with “let the oil flow!

Article content

Article content

Article content

“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!” Trump said, adding that he had authorized the immediate “toll-free opening” of the Strait of Hormuz and the end of a U.S. military blockade on Iranian ports.

“Ships of the world, start your engines.”

While Trump claimed that the reopening of the strait would take effect right away, he clarified later that it won’t happen until the agreement is signed on Friday after Iranian officials cast doubt on his original timeline.

Article content

Article content

“With the opening of the Strait upon the signing of the Deal on Friday, for purposes of mine removal, oil will flow on both ends again for the Region, and the World!” Trump wrote in a second social media post.

Iran had seemed to have confirmed the deal with the Times of Israel reporting that deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi had said through their diplomatic mission in India that an “immediate and permanent end of the war” would be announced starting Sunday night.

Article content

Signing ceremony set for Friday

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also said on social media that both sides had declared “termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.”

Sharif said an official signing ceremony was scheduled for Friday in Switzerland, while talks between mediators would continue until then. As well, “detailed discussions” on Iran’s nuclear program were to begin in the wake of the deal, Fox News reported.

The diplomatic breakthrough came after Trump had said a deal to end the fighting between the nations was “very close” and despite an Israeli attack in Lebanon — where Israel has been exchanging strikes with the Iran-back militant group Hamas — that threatened to upend negotiations.

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Play Video

Concern about deal in Israel

That led Trump to warn all parties not to “blow it.”

There was “profound” concern about the deal in Israel, however, which the Times of Israel reported was not included in the discussions between the U.S. and Iran.

Article content

“The deal reportedly fails to achieve any of the goals of the war that were set out by the U.S. and Israel, including eliminating Iran’s nuclear weapons program, depleting its ballistic missile stockpile, ending its support for terror proxies and creating the conditions for the fall of the regime,” the outlet reported.

More on the situation in the Middle East:

Trump calls Netanyahu a ‘difficult guy’

Trump took aim at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in comments to the New York Times, while also praising Russia and China for help brokering the deal with Iran.

“He’s a very difficult guy,” Trump said of Netanyahu, while offering credit to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. “And to be honest with you, he should be very thankful to us for doing this. Because if Iran had a nuclear weapon, Israel wouldn’t be around for two hours.”

He also said in an interview with CNN earlier in the day that he told Netanyahu that he had “no f—ing judgment” after Israel launched an attack against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon before the deal was reached.

Article content

The relationship between Trump and Netanyahu has become increasingly strained of late over Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon and the U.S. was “very worried” that Sunday’s strike in a Beirut suburb could have scuttled the deal with Iran, CNN reported.

The report, citing anonymous sources, said the U.S. believed Iran was about to launch another retaliatory strike against Israel hours before the announcement was made and tweaking the wording of the deal in response to avoid the attack.

“We saw a lot of evidence that the Iranians were going to launch a large number of missiles at the Israelis,” U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance told Fox News. “With our communication with them over the course of getting to this signed peace deal, they assured us that they were not going to respond to the Israelis and they were going to sign this agreement and get to peace.”

Final deal still pending: Iranian diplomat

Gharibabadi said that while a deal to end hostilities between Iran and the U.S. has been reached, the Times of Israel reported, a final agreement still needs to be hammered out.

Article content

He told Iranian state TV that negotiations will be held over a 60-day period and that they would respond with their “own measures” if there are “breaches from the other side.

“When negotiations begin within 60 days with the aim of reaching a final agreement, if such a final agreement is ultimately achieved, the key issue for us will naturally be the implementation of its provisions,” Gharibabadi said, via the Times of Israel.

Article content

Key Republican speaks out on deal

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is close to Trump, expressed some concern about the U.S. and Iran offering differing views on the deal, while also applauding both sides for reaching a preliminary agreement.

No text of the deal has been released, according to CNN, despite U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance touting its provisions in an appearance on Fox News.

Whatever happens from here, Graham said, a final nuclear deal will still require congressional approval.

“I look forward to reviewing the final product and I believe it is imperative that the architect of the deal, Vice-President Vance and his negotiating partners, be part of the process in presenting the final deal to Congress,” he said on social media. “Congratulations to all in getting us to this point. Time will tell.”

Deal ‘warmly’ welcomed by U.S. allies

Key U.S. allies in Europe said they “warmly” welcomed the deal to end its campaign in Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz “with unconditional and unrestricted freedom of navigation.”

Article content

The leaders of the U.K., France, Germany and Italy said they were also “prepared to lift relevant sanctions in response to clear, verifiable steps” by Iran on its nuclear program, while also vowing to ensure that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon.

“We are committed to playing our part to achieve this — in accordance with our respective constitutional requirements — including through a strictly defensive and independent mission to reassure commercial shipping and conduct mine-clearance operations,” they said in a joint statement.

Canada, meanwhile, has yet to respond to the deal.

An email seeking a comment from the Prime Minister’s Office and Global Affairs was not immediately returned.

Article content