Iran’s approval of US deal ‘relatively high’ after Washington accepts Tehran’s text

Iran’s approval of a proposed agreement with the United States is “relatively high” after Washington accepted a draft text put forward by Tehran, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported on Thursday. “Given that the United States has accepted Iran’s proposed text, the likelihood of the agreement being approved by Tehran’s highest decision-making authorities is relatively high,” the agency said. The report came hours after President Trump announced on Truth Social that he had canceled planned strikes against Iran for Thursday evening, stating that “discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Türkiye, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others.”

Blockade and continued strikes

Trump noted that “the Naval Blockade will remain in full force and effect until this Transaction is finalized — Time and place of the signing to be announced shortly.” Despite the diplomatic progress, US forces carried out a second day of strikes against multiple targets in Iran on Thursday, following the downing of an Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s IRGC said it struck 18 major US military targets in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. The latest escalation has heightened tensions, with Iran announcing it is closing the strait to maritime traffic.