Signal of Possible Deal, Trump Cancels Attack on Iran

President Trump. (Twitter/@POTUS)

JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump said he canceled a planned attack on Iran on Thursday, hinting at the possibility of signing an agreement with Tehran after high-level talks.

President Trump's latest sudden change in this war came after what he called a "final points" agreement by a number of 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 canceled the scheduled attacks and bombings on Iran tonight," Trump said on Truth Social, launching Al Arabiya from AFP (12/6).

President Trump said "the discussions and the final points have, both in concept and in detail, been agreed to by all parties involved" including the United States and Israel, which together launched the war in February, and a number of regional allies.

"The time and place of the signing will be announced soon," said President Trump, adding that the US naval blockade against Iran will remain in place until then.

It is known that President Trump has been alternating between declaring a deal and threatening Iran for weeks, even accusing Tehran on Wednesday of "playing us."

Earlier on Thursday, President Trump vowed to carry out a "very tough" attack on Iran that night and promised to seize the country's main oil infrastructure, which would be a major escalation.

"At some point in the future, we will seize Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and take full control of their Oil and Gas Market, as we have done with Venezuela," he said on social media.

Kharg Island is at the heart of Iran's oil export industry, the backbone of the country's battered economy. The island lies off the Iranian Gulf coast, hundreds of kilometers northwest of the narrow and strategic Strait of Hormuz.

He did not provide details on how the United States would seize Iran's oil terminals, but such an operation would almost certainly require the involvement of US ground forces.

However, the US leader himself seemed hesitant about whether to continue the move, in a telephone interview with Fox News shortly after his social media post.

"Look, my choice has always been to seize Kharg Island," he told Fox, before adding: "To be honest, I'm not sure America has the courage to do it."

He insisted that "I don't want to deploy ground troops" but said that "if I want to, we can put a small group of soldiers and take over the whole place."

President Trump also said he preferred not to attack Iran's civilian infrastructure, after previously threatening to attack power plants and bridges.

"I'd rather not do it, because once you do it, people are going to suffer," Trump said.

President Trump has also vented his growing frustration with Iran for failing to reach an agreement to end the war, open the Strait of Hormuz, and agree not to develop nuclear weapons.

"All of this is crazy, and they really are bowing down, they just haven't realized it yet," President Trump said.