Trump claims deal to end Iran war near as Tehran says 'nothing' finalised

US President Donald Trump claimed an agreement to end the war with Iran was close on Thursday, hours after cancelling a third consecutive night of strikes.Trump had declared the US would strike Iran "very hard", but hours later said his negotiators had "just made a great settlement" with Iran.He told reporters it was "subject to finalisation of documents, which should get done, over the next few days" and that there would "probably" be a signing ceremony in Europe.However, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told state TV that reports of an agreement were "speculative" and "nothing has been finalised". Trump has previously claimed a deal with Iran was close without one materialising.The US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran on 28 February. Iran responded by attacking Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf, and effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz - a key shipping route for the world's oil and liquefied natural gas.Despite having agreed a ceasefire in April, the US and Iran have exchanged intermittent fire, including two rounds of tit-for-tat strikes this week. At the same time, Trump has also repeatedly talked up the prospects of a deal with Iran.In the wake of his latest comments the price of Brent crude plunged to about $89 a barrel (£66), down 4.4% on the day.