Washington (United States) (AFP) – US President Donald Trump withdrew his threat of further strikes against Iran on Thursday and said a deal with Tehran to end the war could be signed in coming days.

Trump’s announcement fueled a stock market rally and tanked oil prices, although Iran’s position remained unclear, with foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei saying Tehran “had not reached a final conclusion on the agreement.”

Claiming that talks with Iran had been “brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved,” Trump said he had “cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening.”

“Time and place of the signing to be announced shortly,” he promised.

He said the finer points of the arrangement had been approved by the United States and its allies in the region, including Israel, with which Washington jointly launched the war in February.

The Tasnim news agency noted that Trump had announced a deal was imminent 38 times in the previous two months.

“Until Iran announces the matter of a potential understanding, any news from Trump on this subject should be regarded the same as his previous messaging,” it warned.

Later Trump doubled down, telling reporters “I understand the answer is yes,” when asked if Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had approved the deal.

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