Trump Says Iran War Deal Could Be Signed Within Days as Both Sides Halt Strikes

I need to renumber the citations to match the source list order.

A war's bloodiest week ends with talk of a signing

After 100 days of fighting and the most serious direct exchange of fire since a fragile April ceasefire, the U.S.-Israel war on Iran lurched toward a possible end this week. President Donald Trump on Thursday abruptly called off a fresh wave of strikes and declared the U.S. had "just made a great settlement of the war with Iran," subject to "finalization of documents."reuters A Western source said a memorandum could be signed as soon as Sunday — by Vice President JD Vance and Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammed Baqer Qalibaf — with Geneva seen as the likeliest venue.reuters By Friday, Trump was again sounding combative, decrying an Iranian drone attack and warning Tehran to "get their act together, and FAST!"cnbc

The leaked terms tilt toward Tehran

The draft deal as described by Western, Pakistani and Iranian sources appears to accept the principal terms Tehran proposed two months ago — terms Washington had repeatedly rejected.reuters Under them, the U.S. would immediately release billions in frozen Iranian assets and waive oil sanctions in return for Iran lifting its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.reuters Contentious nuclear questions would be deferred to a 60-day negotiating window, with no mention of Iran surrendering its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.reuters Iranian state media reported a 14-point document that also demands the withdrawal of all U.S. forces and at least $300 billion in reconstruction commitments.cnbc Trump called those leaked terms "fake news," insisting they "have NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing."cnbc

Israel, which launched the war alongside Washington on February 28, has been excluded from the talks, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country would not be party to the memorandum.reuters The two leaders have clashed repeatedly over U.S. demands that Israel curb its campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon — a sticking point Iran insists must be resolved.reuters

Markets bet on the Strait reopening

The diplomatic whiplash followed days of escalation in which Israel and Iran traded fire for the first time since April, before both sides agreed to halt attacks after a Trump appeal.reuters The Strait of Hormuz — which in peacetime carries roughly a fifth of the world's seaborne oil and 20% of global LNG — has been largely shut for the duration of the war.cnbc Brent crude remains about 36% above its pre-war level, and U.S. inflation hit 3.8% in April, its highest in nearly three years.cnbc

Hopes of a deal sent equities soaring. The S&P 500 closed up nearly 1.8% Thursday, its best day since April, while South Korea's Kospi jumped more than 8% on Friday.aljazeera Brent slipped below $89.50 as traders priced in a return to normal shipping.aljazeera But analysts cautioned the rally needs proof: "Investors will want to not only see the actual deal being signed, but a complete reopening of the Strait of Hormuz," ANZ's Khoon Goh said.aljazeera Trump has claimed a deal was near more than 30 times before — only for none to materialize.cnbc