AL HAYAT - Trump says canceling Iran strikes, flags possible deal

Trump's latest sudden reversal on the war came after what he said were the agreements of "final points" by numerous countries -- except Iran.

"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... cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening," Trump said on his Truth Social network.

Trump said that "discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved" including the United States and Israel, who jointly launched the war in February, and a host of regional allies.

"Time and place of the signing to be announced shortly," said Trump, adding that a US naval blockade of Iran would remain in place until then.

There was no immediate reaction from Iran.

Trump has for weeks veered between proclaiming a deal and threatening Iran, accusing Tehran as recently as Wednesday of "playing us for suckers."

Earlier on Thursday, Trump vowed "very hard" strikes on Iran that evening and promised to take the country's key oil infrastructure in what would have been a major escalation.

"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 said on social media.

Kharg Island is at the heart of Iran's oil export industry, a lynchpin of the country's battered economy. It sits off Iran's Gulf coast, hundreds of kilometers northwest of the narrow, strategic Strait of Hormuz.

- 'Crazy' -

Trump talked about a possible seizure of the island earlier in the US-Israeli war in Iran, which began on February 28. A fragile ceasefire has been in place since early April.

He gave no details of how the United States would seize Iran's oil terminals, but any such operation would almost certainly require the involvement of US ground troops.

But the US leader himself appeared divided on whether to go ahead with the move, in a telephone interview with Fox News shortly after his social media post.

"Look, my preference has always been take Kharg Island," Trump told Fox, before adding: "I don't know that America has the stomach for it, to be honest."

Trump insisted that "I don't want to have boots on the ground" but said that "if I wanted to, we could put a small group of soldiers and take over the whole place."

He also said he preferred not to hit Iran's civilian infrastructure, after previously threatening to strike power plants and bridges.

"I'd rather not do it, because once you do that, the people suffer," Trump said.

Trump also vented his increasing frustration with Iran for failing to agree a deal to end the war, open the Strait of Hormuz and agree not to develop a nuclear weapon.

"The whole thing is crazy, and they're really in submission, they just don't know it yet," Trump said.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent meanwhile vowed Thursday to use Iranian funds to pay for damage that the country causes to Gulf allies.

Z.Munif--al-Hayat