US President Donald Trump said he has canceled strikes on Iran, hours after he threatened to hit the Islamic republic "very hard tonight."
Trump also appeared to suggest that Washington and Tehran had finalized a deal to end the three-month-long war, which has rattled international markets and upended the global economy.
"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 said in a post on Truth Social on June 11.
Trump added that "discussions and final points" have been approved by 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 said.
There was no immediate official response from Iran, where officials on June 11 warned Trump against carrying out more strikes against the Islamic republic.
Shortly before Trump's comments, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, a senior Iranian official, warned the United States against becoming entangled in an "endless quagmire."
"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," Qalibaf, who is Iran's parliamentary speaker and chief negotiator, said in a June 11 post on X.
Earlier on the same day, Trump said the United States would conduct fresh military strikes on Iran.
"The United States will be hitting Iran...VERY HARD TONIGHT," he wrote in a Truth Social post, also threatening to seize Iran's oil infrastructure facilities, including Kharg Island, the country's main oil export hub.
His comments came after Washington and Tehran exchanged attacks for a second consecutive night on June 10, deepening one of the most serious escalations in hostilities since a fragile cease-fire took hold in April.
Iran claimed it had fully closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global oil and gas supplies, following overnight US strikes on targets in the country.
Iran responded by launching missile and drone attacks against US-linked targets in Bahrain and Kuwait.
As Tehran warned that any vessel attempting to transit the strategic waterway would be targeted, Iranian state media later reported that two ships had come under attack.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) disputed those claims, saying commercial shipping continued to move through the strait, which usually accounts for the passage of one-fifth of global oil and gas supplies.
The latest exchanges came after US strikes earlier this week on Iranian radar, air defense, and command systems following the loss of a US Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz -- an incident Trump has blamed on Iran.
"We were really close to a deal, but they keep tapping us along, they keep playing us for suckers," Trump told reporters on June 10, while Fox News reported that he warned the United States could intensify military operations unless Tehran agreed to a framework settlement.
The renewed fighting heightened concerns about regional stability, energy supplies, and the viability of diplomatic efforts that have continued despite repeated violations of the April cease-fire.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate halt to hostilities, warning the Middle East was being drawn "deeper into crisis."
"This week has brought wider attacks and further deterioration where the cease-fire is more like a lesser-fire," Guterres said on X on June 11. "No more attacks. No more excuses."
