US president says negotiations will start as efforts continue to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and address concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme
Abroad Air Force one/Cairo: US President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran will begin on Monday but declined to set a deadline for reaching an agreement, following his decision to hold off on a planned attack in the hope of securing a diplomatic breakthrough.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said talks would begin on Monday afternoon but did not disclose where they would take place or who would participate.
Asked whether Iran faced a deadline to reach an agreement, Trump declined to provide one.
“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.
His comments came a day after he announced on his Truth Social platform that Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had requested additional time to complete a deal that would result in the “immediate, complete and total” reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and “an end to Iran’s nuclear threat.”
Trump has repeatedly threatened to escalate the conflict launched alongside Israel in late February, while also allowing additional time for negotiations that have so far failed to produce a comprehensive agreement.
The latest diplomatic opening marks another shift in a conflict that has expanded beyond the Gulf region, affecting shipping routes and regional security.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passed before the conflict, has been largely closed by Iran, contributing to higher energy prices and broader inflationary pressures.
Trump has argued that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons justifies higher energy costs in the short term, but rising prices have increased pressure on his administration to find a resolution to the conflict.
Oil prices fall
Oil prices fell more than 4% in early trading on Monday amid hopes that renewed diplomacy could reduce tensions and eventually restore shipping through the strategic waterway.
