DUBAI/WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump called off plans for renewed U.S. military strikes on Iran at the last minute on Thursday, saying negotiations with Tehran had advanced to the highest levels of Iran's leadership and had been approved by a broad coalition of regional powers.

The dramatic reversal came hours before the strikes were expected to be carried out. But details of the diplomatic breakthrough after more than three months of war - including how Iran's leadership had signaled its approval - were not immediately clear in Trump's post on Truth Social.

"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, as President of the United States of America, cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening," Trump wrote.

"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, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others. 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," he added.

There was no immediate comment from Iran. Trump has repeatedly claimed that a deal with Tehran was imminent, only to have its government deny the suggestions.

Earlier in the day, Trump had said the United States would hit Iran "very hard tonight" and even added that he wanted at some point to take Iran's oil infrastructure hub Kharg Island, after a second day of strikes by both sides in the Gulf appeared to threaten a return to all-out war.

A fragile ceasefire has been in place since early April.

Iranian sources and Western officials earlier said indirect U.S.-Iranian talks on a preliminary peace deal had intensified, while the renewed hostilities this week undermined prospects for a swift end to the conflict.

Oil prices fell sharply after Trump said he had cancelled the U.S. plans to strike Iran, while stocks extended their gains.

Iran's top negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf had warned against any rash moves following Trump's initial threats.

"Wrong strategies and impulsive decisions will reset the entire board for the worse, explode energy infrastructure and markets and create an endless quagmire that you will be stuck in for years. You will see a different Iran," he wrote on X.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on both sides to redouble their efforts "towards a peaceful, comprehensive, and durable agreement that advances regional and international peace and security," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.

The war has killed thousands of people, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, and pushed up global oil prices since the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on February 28.

Despite the latest hostilities, three Iranian sources and Western officials said the talks had not yet discussed in detail issues including a mechanism for the release of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian funds.

"This war, from a military standpoint, is a dead end. The Americans could not achieve their goals by attacking Iran. There has been progress in negotiations," said one of the Iranian sources.

(Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Lincoln Feast, Timothy Heritage and Hugh Lawson; Editing by Clarence Fernandez, Toby Chopra, William Maclean and Cynthia Osterman)

People walk past a billboard depicting the late leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and the late Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on a street in Tehran, Iran, June 10, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS Majid Asgaripour Reuters

Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system operates for interceptions over the Israel-Lebanon border, as seen from northern Israel, June 10, 2026. REUTERS/Ammar Awad Ammar Awad Reuters

Hezbollah supporters hold flags and placards during a rally in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon June 10, 2026. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir Mohamed Azakir Reuters

Smoke rises in southern Lebanon following an explosion, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border, in northern Israel, June 10, 2026. REUTERS/Ammar Awad Ammar Awad Reuters

Burnt vehicles, following an Israeli strike in Sidon, southern Lebanon June 10, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. REUTERS/Ali Hankir Ali Hankir Reuters

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 11:23 AM.

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