{"text":[[{"start":15.4,"text":"Donald Trump said the final points of a deal with Tehran have been approved by “all parties” in what he called “a great settlement of the war with Iran”, adding he would call off new planned strikes against the Islamic republic. "}],[{"start":27.8,"text":"The US president’s comments were the clearest signal that Washington and Tehran were close to a preliminary deal that would extend a fragile ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz after weeks of tortuous talks and false dawns. "}],[{"start":40.5,"text":"“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 . . . cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday."}],[{"start":54.05,"text":"Speaking at the White House, Trump later said documents will probably be finalised in the next few days. He added that he had spoken on Thursday to the leaders of Israel, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait, and that he would soon speak with Turkey. "}],[{"start":71.5,"text":"Trump also spoke with Benjamin Netanyahu about the “emerging” deal, the Israeli prime minister’s office said."}],[{"start":78.3,"text":"“The whole Middle East is happy,” he said, adding that a rise in the stock market in recent hours “means they like the deal”. “Oil will start coming down too,” he said."}],[{"start":88.7,"text":"“The strait will officially open as soon as we sign, which could be soon, very soon, maybe over the weekend in Europe. I won’t be able to be there but JD [Vance] will be there,” he said on Thursday afternoon."}],[{"start":101.45,"text":"The president has repeatedly said the warring parties were close to a deal, but he has not been as explicit. After the US and Israel launched the war against Iran on February 28, Trump had predicted it would last up to five weeks, but it has now passed 100 days. "}],[{"start":117.80000000000001,"text":"There was no official response from Iran. "}],[{"start":120.65,"text":"Fars news agency said Tehran had not given its final response, but considering that the US has accepted Iran’s proposed draft, it is likely the Islamic republic will review the draft again."}],[{"start":131.9,"text":"Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, fell as much as 3.9 per cent to $89.46 a barrel after Trump’s post, but rose slightly to settle a bit lower on the day at $90.38. In Asian trade, it was down 1.4 per cent at $89.14. "}],[{"start":151.20000000000002,"text":"The S&P 500 closed up 1.8 per cent and the Nasdaq Composite rose 2.5 per cent, while Treasury yields were on track to record their biggest daily drops in months, as traders pared back bets on inflation and on Federal Reserve interest rate increases this year. "}],[{"start":167.4,"text":"The apparent breakthrough comes after the US and Iran traded fire for two consecutive nights, and hours after Trump threatened more strikes on the Islamic republic on Thursday and warned American forces would seize Kharg Island, the nation’s main oil export hub, in the near future. "}],[{"start":183.95000000000002,"text":"But despite the clashes and Trump’s belligerent rhetoric, mediators continued indirect talks between Washington and Tehran as they sought to finalise a deal. "}],[{"start":193.25000000000003,"text":"A Qatari delegation travelled to Tehran on Wednesday, despite the clashes and in co-ordination with the US, in an effort to break the stalemate. A person briefed on the talks told the FT that mediators had achieved breakthroughs and that the parties were “very close” to a deal."}],[{"start":208.90000000000003,"text":"The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, spoke with Trump by telephone on Thursday. His office said “understandings reached” in the negotiations were approved by “all concerned parties”, and added arrangements for the signing of the agreement were being finalised."}],[{"start":225.50000000000003,"text":"The proposal the US and Iran have been negotiating for weeks would extend an April 8 ceasefire by 60 days, lead to the gradual reopening of the strait and lay the framework for discussions over Tehran’s nuclear programme. "}],[{"start":239.70000000000002,"text":"Iran’s ability to in effect close the narrow waterway — through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes — has triggered the biggest energy crisis in decades. Tehran would have to remove mines in the strait before it could fully open. "}],[{"start":256.6,"text":"The US has also imposed a naval blockade to prevent ships entering or leaving Iranian ports, which Trump said would remain in place “until this transaction is finalised”."}],[{"start":266.8,"text":"The latest clashes between the two nations erupted after Trump on Tuesday blamed Iran for shooting down an American Apache helicopter over the strait and said he had to respond. "}],[{"start":278.6,"text":"Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi previously suggested the helicopter incident was an accident. But the event sparked two days of tit-for-tat strikes during which the US launched attacks on southern Iran, and Iranian forces responded by launching missiles and drones at American bases in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait. "}],[{"start":298.8,"text":"The Israel-Lebanon conflict has been another complicating factor in the talks because Iran insists it should be part of its ceasefire deal with the US. "}],[{"start":308.1,"text":"“We have been down this road before where Trump has suggested a deal was almost in hand,” said Sanam Vakil, Middle East director at Chatham House. “But this time could be the big one that helps cement the ceasefire and opens the Strait of Hormuz with a memorandum of understanding that defers the harder issues to later.”"}],[{"start":325.95000000000005,"text":"She added that while a “first-step deal” should be cautiously welcomed, “both sides still are far from trusting each other or making hard concessions and Israeli pressure tactics will continue to loom in the background”."}],[{"start":347.50000000000006,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1781229661_7440.mp3"}