Trump says Iran talks could begin Monday after he pulled back from what he described as planned “massive” strikes on the country. The president told reporters aboard Air Force One that negotiations would start the next afternoon, even as Tehran gave no public response and the war’s next step remained uncertain.
Trump said Iran and US allies in the Middle East had asked him to hold off on an attack because the outline of a deal was already in place. He also said Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, along with partners in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, urged him not to strike over the weekend. Trump did not set a deadline for an agreement, saying only that the United States was ready to act at any time.
He framed the planned operation as enormous in scale, saying it could have been the biggest attack since World War II. Trump also declined to say whether Iranian energy infrastructure had been among the possible targets. International law experts have said such a strike could amount to a war crime.
Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency rejected Trump’s account, calling his claim that Tehran had asked for a pause “nothing but a new lie.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said negotiations with Oman over a deal on the Strait of Hormuz were on track for finalisation, according to Iranian media. Iran’s acting Defence Minister Majid Ibn al-Reza said Tehran saw threats from its adversaries as real and credible, and would not be caught off guard or stay passive.
The latest Trump Iran talks announcement lands after a series of sharp reversals from the White House. Trump has repeatedly said a negotiated end to the war is close, only for fighting to resume. He also posted on Saturday that the United States was ready with military power not seen since World War II, while arguing that cancelling an attack would serve the future of the world and the survival of a prosperous Iran.
