U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed that negotiations with Iran are scheduled to commence on Monday, though he refrained from establishing a cutoff date for striking a deal. This comes after he previously stated that he had called off an impending military strike, banking on swiftly securing an accord that would both restore navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and break the deadlock surrounding Tehran’s atomic program.
In a late Saturday post on his Truth Social platform, Trump asserted that Iran, along with various other Middle Eastern nations, had requested additional time to finalize an agreement. He stated this would deliver the “Immediate, Complete and Total” reopening of the waterway and put “an end to Iran’s nuclear threat,” while simultaneously stressing that Tehran urgently needs to “rapidly make a DEAL.”
Upon his return to Washington, D.C., following a weekend stay in New Jersey, Trump informed the press on Sunday that the negotiation process is set to kick off Monday afternoon. However, he omitted specifics regarding the venue or the list of participants. When questioned on whether a firm timeline had been imposed on Iran for reaching an accord, Trump opted not to respond directly. Instead, he remarked: “Would I rather make a deal? I’m not looking to kill people because people die, a lot of people die, and we don’t want that.”
Although Trump has consistently warned that he would intensify the military campaign against Iran, initiated alongside Israel in late February, he has repeatedly granted additional leeway for diplomatic dialogue, which has yet to produce a broad, all-encompassing agreement.
According to Iranian state media on Sunday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi conducted telephone discussions with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir to deliberate on ongoing diplomatic initiatives. Earlier, the official IRNA news agency, quoting Foreign Minister Araqchi, had reported that the bilateral negotiations between Tehran and Muscat concerning the Strait of Hormuz are approaching their concluding phase.
Spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Esmaeil Baghaei, clarified that the talks are currently centered on establishing an alternative shipping route through the strait. He emphasized that this process has “no link to the Strait of Hormuz being opened or closed,” categorizing it as a separate matter entirely.
Trump and Netanyahu convened in Washington this past Tuesday. An Israeli official indicated that during their meeting, they examined every available avenue to restrain Iran’s nuclear activities, encompassing diplomatic efforts, economic sanctions, and military options. For its part, Tehran continues to deny any pursuit of atomic weapons.
