Donald Trump says agreement to end conflict and reopen Strait of Hormuz is near
Washington: US President Donald Trump said a deal to end the war in Iran was being negotiated this weekend and was on the verge of being signed, with Washington’s leading war hawks publicly imploring him to reject the peace plan and keep bombing.
Vice President J.D. Vance returned to Washington and traveled to the White House on Saturday afternoon (US time), as did Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, amid reports that the United States and Iran were on the verge of agreeing on a road map to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program.
Amid intense speculation, Trump said at 4.30pm (6.30am AEST) that he had discussed a memorandum of understanding with the leaders of America’s Gulf allies, as well as Pakistan, Egypt, Türkiye and Jordan.
“An agreement has been substantially negotiated and is expected to be finalized between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and various other listed countries,” Trump said in a statement on social media. he said.
He added that he had a separate meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which “went very well.”
“Final aspects and details of the agreement are currently being discussed and will be announced shortly,” Trump said. “Along with many elements of the agreement, the Strait of Hormuz will also be opened.”
As news of the impending deal spread, some prominent Republicans called on Trump to reject the peace plan and continue military action against Iran, arguing that he would squander the gains of the initial military campaign.
Republican senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of the most prominent supporters of the war, said that a deal that would allow Iran to survive and potentially control the Strait of Hormuz in the future would shift the balance of power towards Tehran and be a “nightmare” for Israel.
“It’s also intriguing why the war started,” Graham told X.
Senate Armed Services Committee Republican Chairman Roger Wicker said extending the ceasefire for another 60 days would be a disaster. “Everything achieved by Epic Operation Rage will be in vain!”
Iran also confirmed that the deal was approaching. According to state media, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said that while Iran postponed talks on its nuclear program, the country was working on a memorandum of understanding that would end the war.
“We know that our nuclear issue is an excuse for two wars against the Iranian people, but we have decided responsibly and wisely to prioritize and focus on an issue that is urgent for all of us at this stage, which is to end the war on all fronts, including Lebanon,” he said, quoted by the Islamic Republic News Agency.
Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran analyst at the Israel-based Institute for National Security Studies and a former Iran expert at Israel’s military intelligence unit, agrees that such a deal would strengthen Iran’s influence in the Gulf.
“Most countries in the region now fear that it will not be possible to effectively defend themselves against an attack by Iran or prevent Tehran from exercising its influence over the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
“If the war ends under these conditions, Iran’s deterrence against the Gulf countries will not weaken, on the contrary, it will strengthen.”
The apparent breakthrough came after Trump announced he would not attend his son’s wedding this weekend and canceled a planned trip to his New Jersey golf club.
But this wouldn’t be the first time Trump has announced a deal to end the war or reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but that shouldn’t happen.
The war began on February 28, when joint US-Israeli air strikes severely damaged Iran’s navy, air force, weapons stockpiles and defense industrial base. The ceasefire that started on April 8 is still in effect.
More to come.
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Michael Koziol is the North America correspondent for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Sydney editor, Sun-Herald deputy editor and a federal political correspondent in Canberra.Connect with: X or email.
