Trump Says Deal with Iran 'Getting Close,' but Tehran Denies Direct Talks

US President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday that a deal with Iran was close and that new negotiations would begin as early as Monday. However, the very next day, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said: “We will not host any delegation or be guests to any country in these days.”

Speaking upon returning to Washington from a weekend trip to New Jersey, Trump said he had called off what he described as “large-scale” strikes against Iran in favor of renewed diplomacy, without detailing the venue or participants. Asked about a timeline for an agreement, he declined to answer, saying: “I’m not looking to kill people because people die — a lot of people die — and we don’t want that.”

On Monday, the US leader reiterated that the planned attack on Iran would have been “the largest since World War II,” but that he decided to cancel it. “The deal is getting close — about the Strait of Hormuz and ultimately the denuclearization of Iran,” Trump said.

Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid, reporting from Doha, said that just before Trump’s statement, an unnamed source indicated that mediators were ready to fly to Tehran for an indirect negotiation session. The talks were expected to focus on ongoing discussions between Iran and Oman over control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz. “There will be mediators. We hear from a source that Pakistan’s interior minister and, notably, the Qatari side will send envoys to make this happen as soon as possible,” Bin Javaid cited the source as saying.

The Iranian foreign ministry spokesman’s remarks may only refer to direct talks, while mediated, indirect dialogue could still take place. Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi in Tehran confirmed that Iran is holding bilateral negotiations with Oman focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and seeking implementation measures and timelines, while rejecting any outside interference.

Analysts argue that a comprehensive peace deal remains far off. Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute, said Trump’s pattern of escalation followed by cancellation has undermined the prospects for negotiation. “At some point, all credibility for negotiations is lost. Credibility in abiding by a deal is in doubt, credibility of incentives is in doubt, and clearly credibility of threats is also diminished,” he said.

Alan Eyre, a nonresident fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, suggested the significant talks are only between Iran and Oman over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has decided not to negotiate directly with the US because it “cannot trust anything America says.” Meanwhile, Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, believes a deal on the strait may be achievable, but a comprehensive accord on Iran’s nuclear program is “not possible at this time.”

On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said negotiations between Tehran and Oman on the future management of the Strait of Hormuz were in their “final stage.” The vital waterway, which before the war carried one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas, was shut by Iran in early March after US and Israeli strikes began in late February. Iran allowed limited passage until a memorandum of understanding with the US was signed on June 17.

However, the ambiguous wording of that arrangement sparked disputes over shipping lanes, and Iran attacked some vessels following Omani-approval routes south of the waterway. The strait was closed again last week, and the US reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports. Oman recently proposed, with backing from other Gulf states, a plan for the strait’s future management, but Iran rejected it and countered with its own proposal.

Regarding his decision to call off strikes, Trump said he acted on the request of “three main groups” — Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates — which urged restraint and pursuit of a deal. Oil prices fell more than $4 a barrel after Trump scrapped the attacks. Brent futures dropped $4.08 (4.64%) to $83.85 a barrel, while WTI stood at $80.66, down $4.01 (4.74%).

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed Trump’s claim that the Pentagon was ready to strike Iran “at a level unseen since World War II” and asserted on social media that US forces remain “locked and loaded.”