US President Donald Trump has claimed that Washington and Tehran are close to signing a peace agreement that could end the latest round of military confrontation, but Iranian officials and hardline lawmakers have cast doubt on his assertions, warning that Iran should remain on a war footing and continue retaliatory strikes.
The contrasting messages underline the uncertainty surrounding efforts to turn the fragile ceasefire between the two countries into a lasting settlement, even as global markets closely watch developments in the strategically vital Gulf region.
Trump said on Thursday that discussions with Iran had reached the highest levels of the Iranian leadership and that he had therefore cancelled fresh missile strikes that were reportedly scheduled for later in the day.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed a "great settlement" was within reach and suggested a formal agreement could be signed soon, possibly over the weekend.
The US president later told reporters that the Strait of Hormuz could reopen fully once the agreement is finalised.
Tehran quickly pushed back against Trump's claims. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said negotiations had made progress and much of the draft text had been completed, but stressed that Iran had not yet reached a final decision.
Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency also advised caution, saying reports of an agreement should not be treated as credible until officially confirmed by Iran.
Diplomatic sources familiar with the talks indicated that while much of the framework had been agreed weeks ago, significant obstacles remain and there is still a substantial risk of the negotiations collapsing.
Some of the strongest criticism came from Iran's hardline political camp. Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said there was a high possibility that Trump was attempting to deceive Iran by talking about peace while seeking to calm the situation temporarily.
Rezaei argued that Iran should intensify attacks rather than ease military pressure, calling for stronger action against enemy infrastructure and economic targets.
He also warned the US against targeting Kharg Island, Iran's most important oil export terminal, saying any attempt to seize or attack it would provoke a severe response.
Kharg Island, located in the Persian Gulf, handles roughly 90 percent of Iran's crude oil exports and serves as a critical pillar of the country's economy.
Earlier on Thursday, Trump had dramatically escalated his rhetoric, threatening to strike Iran "very hard" and suggesting that the US could take control of Kharg Island and other Iranian energy infrastructure.
The comments alarmed analysts, who noted that any attempt to seize the island would likely require US ground forces and risk a wider regional conflict.
Trump later appeared to soften his position, saying he was uncertain whether the US public would support such a move and indicated he would prefer to avoid attacks on Iranian civilian infrastructure.