The United States was reportedly only hours away from launching military strikes against Iran on Thursday night before President Donald Trump abruptly pulled back the operation, announcing instead that a new agreement with Tehran had been reached, according to two U.S. officials who spoke to NBC News.

Sources told NBC News that the military had already received direct orders to carry out the mission and was fully prepared to proceed. With roughly three hours remaining before the planned attack, forces were in position, Navy assets had adjusted their flight operations, and weapons had been loaded in anticipation of the strike order.

Despite Trump’s public warnings aimed at Kharg Island, officials said that strategic oil terminal was never included among the designated targets for Thursday’s operation. While the Pentagon has spent months developing extensive plans for possible strikes against, or even an invasion of, Kharg Island, those scenarios remained contingency options and were never approved for execution by the President.

Kharg Island has previously been targeted by American forces during earlier military conflicts. On Thursday morning, however, Trump escalated his rhetoric on Truth Social, declaring that the United States would hit Iran “VERY HARD TONIGHT,” while also stating that American forces would soon be “taking Kharg Island” along with additional Iranian energy facilities.

One U.S. official told NBC News that Trump’s public comments regarding Kharg Island did not align “with any of the planning or action” that military commanders were actually preparing to carry out that evening.

Although defense planners had multiple military options available, officials said the precise targets and operational details for Thursday night’s mission were not finalized until after Trump’s morning social media post. Following that message, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed military leadership to craft a strike package that differed from the standard retaliation plans he had previously reviewed.

According to the officials, the final plan approved for Thursday bore a strong resemblance to the precision attacks American forces had already conducted the night before.

Several hours after publicly announcing the agreement with Iran, Trump addressed reporters in the Oval Office and indicated that Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had signed off on the arrangement.

“I understand the answer is yes,” Trump replied when asked if Khamenei had given his approval to the agreement.

When questioned about why he believed the negotiations would succeed this time, Trump pointed to the pressure Iran had endured in recent weeks.

“Because they’ve taken a pounding. They’ve taken a pounding like very few people could take. And they want to make a deal a lot more than I do.”

The President also reiterated a key condition of the agreement, declaring, “Iran will, in no way, shape, or form, build a nuclear weapon or purchase a nuclear weapon.”

Additional details of the emerging agreement were reported by Al Arabiya, which said the framework includes a minimum 60-day extension of the ceasefire, efforts to clear naval mines, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to international maritime traffic within 30 days.

The reported understandings would also permit Iran to resume oil exports while sanctions relief is reviewed in stages. The proposal further calls for continued nuclear negotiations during the ceasefire period and an end to hostilities across all active fronts.

At the same time, Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced that the proposed Memorandum of Understanding is in advanced negotiations and is “nearly finalized.”

Iranian officials said mediating nations have spent recent hours attempting to resolve the remaining issues separating the two sides. Nevertheless, Tehran stressed that the agreement has not yet been formally completed or officially ratified.

According to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said the Islamic Republic has demonstrated that it will not retreat from what it considers its “red lines.”

The report added that Iran has not yet made a final decision on whether it will ultimately accept the agreement.

{Matzav.com}