Donald Trump announced yesterday, Sunday, that new negotiations with Iran would begin today, Monday, after announcing the previous day his decision to postpone an attack that the U.S. and Israel had planned to launch jointly against the Islamic Republic, on the condition that a ’deal« be reached »quickly.«.
«Of course they don’t want to be attacked. They knew the extent of it because they saw it taking shape (…) What we’re going to do now is talk to them, in the form of negotiations. These negotiations will begin tomorrow (i.e., today, Monday) in the afternoon,», said The U.S. president spoke to the press aboard his plane as he was returning from New Jersey to Washington.
He did not specify where the negotiations would take place, how long they would last, or who would participate.
Neither Tehran nor the mediating countries have confirmed the talks.
The Republican insisted that «there is an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz» and that there will also be one on what he called the «denuclearization» of Iran. For decades, the West has accused Tehran of seeking to acquire a nuclear arsenal—a claim the other side denies.
The U.S. president also made it clear that his military remains ready to act whenever ordered.
A day earlier, Donald Trump announced that he had decided to call off new U.S.-Israeli airstrikes «on a scale of military terror and power (…) the likes of which the world has not seen since World War II,» on the condition that «an agreement be reached quickly,» specifically regarding the «full» reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
He stated yesterday that he had decided to postpone the attack due to a «request» from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Iran itself. It would be «catastrophic for them’ (i.e., the Iranians), he insisted.
Crucial to global hydrocarbon trade, the Strait of Hormuz is once again de facto closed by order of Tehran following the resumption of hostilities with the U.S. in early July, a development that triggered fresh turmoil in the global economy.
The so-called «Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding,» the agreement in principle that, in theory, paved the way for a diplomatic solution within a 60-day deadline—which was renewable—and was signed in mid-June by Washington and Tehran—remained a dead letter, and the parties resumed exchanging extensive strikes early last month.
Since the outbreak of war that set the Middle East ablaze on February 28, with the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, the U.S. president has repeatedly threatened to order massive bombings against the Islamic Republic, before backing down.
He did it again on Saturday night (Washington time), announcing his decision because, as he assured everyone, the «outline» of an agreement is in place.
While the negotiations announced by the U.S. president have not been confirmed by the other side, the Islamic Republic reported yesterday that it is close to reaching an agreement with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran, which does not want a return to the prewar situation, does not allow ships wishing to cross this strait to follow any route other than one that runs along its coastline. It intends to maintain control of the strait.
In June, the establishment of another shipping route near the coast of Oman sparked outrage among Iranian authorities, but it now appears a compromise is taking shape—if Tehran is to be believed; Muscat has neither confirmed nor denied this so far.
«We are on the verge of reaching an agreement on a course of action acceptable to both sides—neither the north nor the south— while respecting each country’s sovereign rights and safeguarding our national interests and security,» summarized Esmail Baghaei, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, speaking on Iranian state television.
Oil prices are falling
President Trump’s announcement was followed by a drop in oil prices in the early morning hours: the price of a barrel of Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell by nearly 5% to $84.
It had exceeded 100 by the end of July.
As negotiations and a resolution are pending, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz remains tense.
Last night, an explosion was reported near an oil tanker in the area; there were no casualties, announced In the early hours of the morning, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a British maritime security information service under the Ministry of Defense,.
Donald Trump is struggling to bring an end to the war, which is causing discontent among American voters.
According to U.S. media reports, his government was planning new large-scale airstrikes against Iran over the weekend, targeting, in particular, Iranian energy infrastructure, including refineries and power plants; according to CBS News, Israel would also participate, having not been involved in the war since hostilities resumed.
Saudi Arabia’s official news agency, SPA, reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged U.S. President Trump, during their conversation, to prioritize «dialogue» in order to «reduce tensions.».
In recent days, the armed conflict has spread to a new front, in the Red Sea, where the Shiite armed movement Ansar Allah—better known in the West by the surname of its leaders, the Houthis—which is aligned with Iran, initially announced a blockade of Saudi Arabian ports, followed by attacks on oil tankers and ports in the Sunni kingdom, which is the world’s largest exporter of crude oil.
These developments posed a threat to commercial shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, at the southern tip of the Red Sea, which has become even more critical following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula.
