Trump announces fresh Iran talks amid Gulf mediation efforts
Washington, Aug 3
US President Donald Trump said that negotiations with Iran will begin Monday afternoon, noting that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar had asked the United States to call off planned strikes because "they think there's a deal."
"There's a deal on (the Strait of) Hormuz, and then there will be a deal on the nuclear, or you might call it the denuclearization of Iran," Trump told reporters on Air Force One en route to Joint Base Andrews.
Claiming that Iran had also asked the United States to pull back the planned strikes, Trump said that "now what we're doing is we're talking to them in the form of a negotiation."
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud spoke on the phone with Trump on Saturday and "expressed concern and asked for clarity" about the proposed plan of action against Iran, a US official told news outlet Axios.
Pakistan, Qatar, the UAE, Turkiye and other countries have also called on the United States and Iran to de-escalate tensions and avoid further conflict, reports Xinhua news agency.
Earlier on Sunday, Trump said the United States had agreed to hold off a planned military attack on Iran after Tehran and several Middle Eastern countries requested a pause, claiming that the framework of a potential agreement had been reached.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the US remained fully prepared for military action but had decided to suspend the planned strike to allow diplomacy to move forward.
"The U.S.A. is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II," Trump wrote.
He said Iran and other countries in the Middle East had urged Washington to delay military action because "the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to."
According to Trump, the proposed agreement would include the "Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran's nuclear threat."
"Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL," Trump said.
He also claimed that Israel supported the decision to pursue the diplomatic path.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Trump says "locked and loaded" but then backs off. Is this real diplomacy or just a public relations exercise? India has always advocated dialogue over conflict, but the US needs to show consistency in its foreign policy, not just tweet about threats and then negotiate.
Interesting to see Saudi and UAE playing peacemakers now. Last time they were pushing for conflict with Yemen. The Gulf states know a war would destroy their economies too. Wise move by them. India should also play a mediation role given our ties with both Iran and the Gulf.
As someone with family working in the Gulf, this news brings a huge sigh of relief. Every time tensions rise, we worry about their safety and the uncertainty of oil prices. Glad to see talks are happening. 🤞 This time, let's hope the deal actually gets signed.
Trump's approach is all over the place. One minute he's ready to strike, the next he's having tea with Iran. India has always maintained strategic autonomy and should learn from this – don't bell the cat. But seriously, peace is welcome. Let's hope the nuclear deal is fair and verifiable this time.
The "deal" sounds vague – just opening Hormuz and ending nuclear threat? What about enrichment levels, sanctions relief, IAEA inspections? The details matter. India understands this from our non-proliferation stance. We need transparent, verifiable agreements, not just last-minute tweets. A bit sceptical of this sudden diplomacy.
As someone who lived
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