President Donald Trump insisted on Monday evening that talks with Iran were taking place "right now," warning that the negotiations represent Tehran's "last chance" to sign a good agreement. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, the Republican president said the talks were happening at Tehran's request.
Earlier in the day, after Iran denied it was talking with the United States, Trump called the Iranian leadership two-faced in a post on Truth Social and warned that a naval blockade would only be lifted if there was a deal or total surrender. He said nothing would get through to Iran unless the United States wanted it to, and nothing would get through unless a deal or total surrender was reached. He said the matter really came down to solving a problem Iran itself had caused for decades.
Talks tied to regional requests
Asked by reporters where negotiations stood, Trump said the two sides were talking at the request of Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and others. He said the talks concerned reopening the Strait of Hormuz, possibly as soon as the next day, though he repeated that he would not allow Iran to charge fees on ships passing through the strait.
According to Reuters, Trump said he wanted to give Iran every last chance before what he called decapitation, adding that he hoped Iran would come to its senses.
Bombing threat withdrawn
Trump had earlier threatened Iran with massive bombing, a threat he suddenly withdrew on Sunday, saying talks with Tehran would resume Monday. An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said Iran was not currently negotiating with the United States but was in talks with Oman over safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
