WASHINGTON, Aug. 3: U.S. President Donald Trump announced that a new round of negotiations with Iran is set to begin on Monday, saying he had postponed what he described as a planned large-scale military strike after being urged by regional allies to allow diplomacy another chance.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said negotiations with Tehran would begin “tomorrow afternoon,” adding that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar had encouraged Washington to avoid military action because they believed a diplomatic breakthrough was within reach.
“We were all set to go,” Trump said, claiming there was progress toward agreements on both the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme. He added that he was not seeking further bloodshed and that the United States remained prepared to act if necessary.
Earlier, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Iran and several U.S. partners in the Middle East had asked Washington to delay an attack because the framework of a potential agreement had already been established.
However, Iran rejected that claim. The semi-official Mehr News Agency described Trump’sassertion as “nothing but a new lie,” denying that Tehran had requested the United States to hold off on military action.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said negotiations mediated by Oman on security arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz were progressing toward finalisation, according to Iranian media.
Trump did not disclose where Monday’s talks would take place or who would participate.
Financial markets reacted positively to the announcement, with global oil prices falling sharply in early Asian trading amid hopes that diplomatic efforts could ease tensions in the Gulf. Brent crude and U.S. benchmark oil both dropped by more than four percent.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route, carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas exports, making stability in the region critical for international energy markets.
Despite the renewed diplomatic push, Iranian officials maintained that they viewed all military threats as credible and warned they would remain fully prepared to respond to any attack.
