▲ U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a signing ceremony for the "Secure America Act" in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on June 10, 2026, in this photo released by EPA. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

(LEAD) Trump-Iran-negotiation

(LEAD) Trump calls off Iran strikes, says Iranian leadership 'approved' peace discussions

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 8-11)

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, June 11 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he canceled planned strikes on Iran as "the highest level" of the Iranian leadership has "approved" negotiations with the United States, signaling that the two countries are nearing the signing of a peace deal to end their hostilities.

Trump made the remarks in a social media post, noting that all countries involved in the peace negotiations have approved the "final points" of a potential agreement with the Islamic Republic, and that the "time and place of the signing" will be announced in the near future.

South Korea and other countries have been closely watching the developments in the Middle East conflict, which has all but closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for oil, fertilizer and other commodities, and has pushed up oil prices.

"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 on Truth Social.

"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," he added.

Trump also said that the naval blockade will remain "in full force and effect" until the negotiations are finalized.

"Time and place of the signing to be announced shortly," he said.

Trump's Truth Social post came amid growing concerns that the U.S. and Iran could return to full-scale war as their fragile ceasefire has repeatedly been tested by an escalating exchange of attacks on each other.

The two sides have been negotiating a memorandum of understanding that would reportedly extend their ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and continue negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.

They have been working to narrow differences over U.S. demands for Iran to abandon any pursuit of nuclear weapons and hand over its stockpile of enriched uranium, and Iran's calls for Washington to unfreeze its assets and ease sanctions, among other things.

South Korea and other countries, which rely on the Strait of Hormuz for energy imports, have hoped the two countries can reach a peace settlement that would restore safe passage through the waterway. Two dozen South Korean vessels still remain trapped in the strait.

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