Trump says Iran deal is close, but Tehran says nothing is final

US President Donald Trump says a deal to end the war with Iran is close, hours after saying he had cancelled planned strikes.

“We just made a great settlement,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, adding that Iran would never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.

Iran’s foreign ministry said reports of an agreement were “speculative” and that nothing had been finalised.

The war began on 28 February, when the US and Israel launched major strikes on Iran. Tehran responded by attacking Israel and US-linked Gulf states, and by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and gas.

Brent crude fell more than 4% after Trump’s comments.