▲ Donald Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday, June 11 (local time) that negotiations to end the war with Iran have reached the final stage of document coordination, and a signing ceremony could be held in Europe this weekend.
However, Iran's Foreign Ministry stated that it has not yet made a final decision, suggesting that whether a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to end the war will actually be signed remains to be seen pending further statements from the Iranian side.
Hosting a ceremony at the White House to sign a proclamation unrelated to the war with Iran on Thursday, Trump said, "We just made a great settlement regarding the war with Iran," adding, "Only the final coordination of the document remains."
He added, "It will be finalized in the next few days, and a signing ceremony will probably be held in Europe."
Confirming the timing of the signing ceremony as "probably this weekend," he said, "I won't be able to attend, but Vice President JD Vance will."
Trump is scheduled to watch an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14, which is also his 80th birthday.
Trump also said, "As soon as we sign (the agreement to end the war), the Strait of Hormuz will be opened," adding, "It could probably be Saturday."
He also stated that the U.S. naval blockade of Iran would be lifted simultaneously with the signing.
Trump emphasized, "Most importantly, we made an agreement that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon," adding, "This was the ultimate purpose of what we had to go through to get this (agreement).
Therefore, this is a very big achievement."
He also claimed that Iran would not purchase or develop nuclear weapons in any way, shape, or form.
Regarding the MOU between the two countries awaiting signature, Trump described it as "somewhat conceptual" but said it would be a "very strong and detailed MOU."
When asked if Iran's supreme leader had also approved the agreement, Trump replied, "That's my understanding."
He also mentioned that he had spoken with the leaders of neighboring countries, including Israel, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait, and that he plans to speak with the president of Turkiye as well.
Regarding whether a deadline has been set for a final peace agreement after the signing of this MOU, Trump said, "I think things will move pretty quickly," but did not provide a specific deadline.
Trump also explained that the possibility of a U.S. occupation of Kharg Island, Iran's largest oil terminal, is currently "off the table" due to the potential for a peace agreement with Iran.
Earlier on Thursday morning, Trump had posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, that "at some point in the not-too-distant future, we will occupy Kharg Island and other oil infrastructure strongholds, and we will take total control of their oil and gas markets." However, as the peace negotiations progressed, he indicated that this plan is currently being excluded from consideration.
Earlier on Thursday morning, Trump had posted on Truth Social, warning of stronger additional attacks against Iran on Thursday night, following previous strikes on June 9 and 10.
However, in a post published on Truth Social in the afternoon, he stated, "Based on the fact that discussions with Iran have gone all the way to the top Iranian leadership and received approval, I, as the President of the United States, have canceled the airstrikes and bombings on Iran scheduled for this evening," suggesting significant progress in the peace negotiations with Iran.
The signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House on Thursday was originally scheduled to be closed to the press, but was changed to a public event shortly before it began.
This is interpreted as an effort to make public remarks regarding the situation amid progress in negotiations with Iran.
When asked how this situation differs from past instances where he claimed an agreement was imminent, Trump replied that Iran, having been heavily hit by U.S. military strikes, wants the deal even more than he does.
However, Iran's reaction showed a clear difference in tone from Trump's remarks.
Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday that nothing has been finalized regarding the signing of the agreement, and that reports about the time and place of the signing are entirely "speculative," Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported.
Baghaei added that while a large part of the agreement has been finalized, the U.S. has repeatedly changed its stance during the negotiations.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.