Trump says US-Iran talks underway, calls it 'last chance'
Washington, Aug 4
US President Donald Trump said that talks with Iran are "going on right now," adding that "this is a last chance."
"We're talking and we're talking at the request of Iran, backed by Saudi Arabia, backed by UAE and backed by Qatar in particular, but others also," Trump told reporters at the White House Oval Office after signing an executive order on military spouse.
"This is a last chance for them to sign a good document," Trump continued.
"I think we're going to maybe get something, but I want to give them every last chance before decapitation," he said.
When asked about progress, Trump told reporters "you find out today or tomorrow ... they're going to go quickly one way or the other."
He said that the two sides are talking about the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, "having it open literally by tomorrow, completely open, and that's phase one."
"And phase two is we then will talk about the nuclear capacity ... the denuclearization of Iran has to happen," he continued, adding that "that'll take a little while."
Earlier on the day, Trump took to social media to lash out at the Iranian leadership, accusing them of being "unbelievably duplicitous," Xinhua news agency reported.
"They ask for a meeting, some would say 'beg,' talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they're not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they're only dealing with 'Oman,'" Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said in Tehran on Monday that Iran is currently not engaged in any negotiations with the United States, and talks with Oman over Strait of Hormuz are underway.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Typical Trump - making it all about himself and calling it a 'last chance.' Meanwhile, India's oil imports are at risk if the Strait of Hormuz gets shut. We need to hope for peace here, but US diplomacy has become too unpredictable. 🤞
As an Indian, I watch this with concern. We have lakhs of citizens working in the Gulf, and our energy security depends on the Strait of Hormuz. Trump's off-the-cuff remarks are scary - one tweet and world markets panic. It's not a joke. I hope saner heads prevail in both Washington and Tehran.
'Decapitation'? Seriously? This kind of language from a world leader is not just irresponsible, it's barbaric. The US keeps talking about denuclearization but has never done much about its own arsenal. India must stay neutral and push for peace, as we are also impacted by oil prices every time such tensions rise. 😤
While Trump threatens Iran, India should accelerate its own strategic oil reserves and diversify its energy sources. We can't rely on a volatile US-Iran relationship for our daily needs. That said, cooler heads must prevail - a war here would be catastrophic for the entire subcontinent and beyond.
So cynical. The US claims Iran 'begged' for talks, but Iran denies any negotiations. Sounds like Trump is trying to create a narrative for his own benefit. Meanwhile, our Indian workers in Gulf countries are the ones who suffer. Peace is the only solution. 🙏