- Trump Says Gulf Allies Urged Washington to Suspend Planned Attack, Cites Progress on Hormuz
WASHINGTON: The United States and Iran are set to resume negotiations on August 3, US President Donald Trump announced, saying diplomatic efforts have replaced plans for a major military strike against Tehran following appeals from key Gulf allies.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said Washington decided not to proceed with what he described as a “massive attack” on Iran after requests from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Iran, all of whom believed a negotiated settlement remained achievable.
“They knew the extent of the attack because they saw it forming. Now what we’re doing is we’re talking to them in the form of a negotiation. It begins tomorrow afternoon, and we’ll see,” Trump said.
The US president indicated that military preparations had been completed but were suspended after regional partners urged restraint.
“We’re all set to go, but when the allies asked to call it off, they got us sort of saying, ‘Well, let’s see.’ And the reason they ask is they think there’s a deal,” he added.
Trump Claims Progress on Strait of Hormuz
Trump also asserted that an agreement had been reached concerning the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important maritime routes, and said the next phase of negotiations would focus on Iran’s nuclear programme.
“There’s a deal on Hormuz, and then there will be a deal on the nuclear, or you might call it the denuclearization of Iran. I call it the denuclearization of Iran,” Trump said.
Iran Denies Reports of Hormuz Agreement
However, Iranian officials disputed Trump’s assertion regarding the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Fars News Agency, citing a source familiar with the Iranian negotiating team, reported that no agreement had been reached on restoring shipping through the strategic waterway and described earlier reports of such a deal as inaccurate.
Report Links Decision to Qatari Mediation
Earlier on August 2, Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Trump agreed to cancel the planned large-scale military strike after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accepted a compromise proposal presented by Qatari mediators aimed at restoring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
The reported developments come amid renewed diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran, with negotiations expected to focus on maritime security and Iran’s nuclear programme.
BY: The Times Union
