President Trump Anticipates Eventful Weekend Amid Claims of Imminent Iran Deal

President Donald Trump is poised for a notable weekend, which includes several key events. The World Cup returns to the U.S. on Friday for the first time in 32 years, a bid Trump helped secure during his first term. On Sunday, his 80th birthday will be celebrated during a UFC fight night at the White House grounds. Following this, he is scheduled to travel to the G7 summit in the French Alps for discussions with various world leaders.

Amid these engagements, Trump announced on Thursday a potential breakthrough in diplomatic efforts with Iran. He stated that the U.S. and Iran "could come to terms this weekend" on an agreement to conclude the three-month-old war, a conflict that has been broadly unpopular with Americans and has impacted global oil markets. Trump indicated his plan to dispatch Vice President JD Vance to sign the agreement.

This announcement follows several occasions in recent weeks where Trump has claimed a deal was imminent, without any visible fruition. A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry told state television that mediators were active but no agreement to end the conflict had been finalized. Trump, however, expressed confidence that this time would be different.

He attributed this potential shift to his threats of escalating the conflict, which included more intense bombardment of Iran and proposals to seize Iran’s oil industry, notably the Kharg Island oil facility. These threats came after a week of back-and-forth strikes that effectively nullified a temporary ceasefire agreed upon in early April. Trump suggested Iran was eager for a deal, stating, “They’ve taken a pounding like very few people could take… And they want to make the deal a lot more than I do.”

While offering limited details, Trump told reporters he believed Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen publicly since being reportedly wounded at the war's outset, was ready to sign the agreement. He described the conceptual deal as "very strong" and designed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Ali Vaez, Iran director at the International Crisis Group, suggested Trump's heightened threats were partly aimed at reassuring his political base that he was willing to play "hardball" with Iran.

Trump had previously warned in March of targeting Iran’s infrastructure and deploying U.S. troops to Kharg Island before agreeing to a temporary ceasefire. On Thursday, after raising the idea of escalation on social media, he appeared to back away, questioning on Fox News Channel whether Americans had the “stomach” for an option involving U.S. troops. Hours later, he announced the cancellation of orders for "very hard" strikes on Iran, stating a deal was close. Vaez noted that mediators from Pakistan, Turkey, and Qatar had been making progress in their talks with Iran concurrently. Last weekend, Iran directly attacked Israel for the first time since the ceasefire, following an Israeli military strike.

According to Fortune, President Donald Trump anticipates a significant weekend, including co-hosting the World Cup, celebrating his 80th birthday, and attending the G7 summit, while claiming an imminent deal with Iran.