Trump says deal to end US-Israeli war on Iran could be signed as soon as this weekend

A deal to permanently end the US-Israeli war on Iran could be signed as soon as this weekend, President Donald Trump said Thursday in a day dominated by whiplash developments.

"We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran, and we're going to be, subject to finalization of documents, which should get done over the next few days, probably have a signing, maybe in Europe," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

Trump said the signing ceremony "could be soon, very soon, maybe over the weekend" and said Vice President JD Vance will represent the US, as well as negotiators special envoy Steve Witkoff and advisor Jared Kushner.

He said he cannot make it to the potential signing ceremony this weekend, presumably because of a series of events he has planned in Washington to celebrate the US's 250th birthday.

Asked if Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has approved the deal to end the war, Trump said: "I understand the answer is yes."

Trump said he spoke with some regional partners who helped broker the agreement and said he would speak with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom he said was "great" in helping to end the war.

US forces carried out a second day of strikes against multiple targets in Iran on Wednesday evening following Iran's downing of an Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), for its part, said 18 major US military targets had been struck at Ali Al Salem and Ahmad Al Jaber air bases in Kuwait, Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain, and a base hosting American fighter jets in Jordan.

Just hours prior to announcing the breakthrough in negotiations, Trump had threatened to continue striking Iran "very hard" and threatened to seize Iran's Kharg Island, which serves as a vital energy terminal for Tehran.

Asked if the threat is still on the table, Trump told reporters: "If we sign this agreement, it would be."