U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran will take place on Monday, signaling a potential de-escalation after days of mutual threats of new attacks. The announcement comes amid a complex diplomatic push to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz address Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, though the president declined to specify a timeline for a final agreement.
In a late Saturday post on his Truth Social platform, Trump asserted that Iran and other Middle Eastern nations had requested additional time to finalize a deal that would ensure the “Immediate, Complete and Total” reopening of the strait and “an end to Iran’s nuclear threat.” He stressed, however, that Tehran must “rapidly make a DEAL.”
Negotiations Begin Without Firm Deadline
Speaking to reporters on Sunday upon his return to Washington from a weekend in New Jersey, Trump confirmed that a negotiation would commence Monday afternoon but offered no details on the venue or participants. When pressed on whether a deadline exists for Iran to reach an agreement, the president demurred.
“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,” Trump said.
This latest move reflects a recurring pattern in Trump’s approach: issuing strong threats to escalate the conflict he launched alongside Israel in late February, only to allow additional time for diplomatic efforts that have yet to yield a comprehensive settlement.
Economic and Regional Fallout
The apparent easing of tensions marks a new twist in a war that has expanded from the Gulf to the Red Sea and even reached a Mediterranean facility in Egypt. Iran has largely closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit that previously carried about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, driving up energy prices and fueling broader inflation.
Trump has argued that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons justifies higher fuel costs in the near term. However, the economic strain has intensified political pressure on him to resolve the conflict. In early trading on Monday, oil prices fell more than 4%, reflecting cautious optimism about the upcoming talks.
Iranian Diplomatic Activity Intensifies
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi held phone conversations with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir, to discuss diplomatic efforts, according to Iranian state media on Sunday.
The official IRNA news agency reported that negotiations between Tehran and Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz were in their final stages, citing Araqchi. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei clarified that talks were focused on agreeing a new route through the strait, adding that this issue was “no link to the Strait of Hormuz being opened or closed. That is a separate discussion.”
Last month, publicly rejected an Omani proposal, backed by Gulf states, to jointly manage the strait. Sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the plan included voluntary fees for using the waterway.
Israel’s Warning Amid Diplomacy
Eli Cohen, Israel’s energy minister and a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet, affirmed close security and intelligence coordination between Israel and the U.S. regional developments. However, he issued a stern warning: “With or without an agreement, and regardless of any external commitments, Iran attempts to renew its nuclear program or advance its ballistic missile industries, we will be there. We will take action, and we will strike.”
Trump and Netanyahu met in Washington on Tuesday, with an Israeli official indicating they explored all possible options to curb Iran’s nuclear program, including diplomacy, economic pressure, and military force. Tehran continues to deny any intention of developing a nuclear weapon.
