US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday, August 2nd, 2026, that new talks with Iran are set to begin on Monday, August 3rd, after he called off what he described as "massive" strikes on the country. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, "They knew the extent of the attack because they saw it forming," referring to Iran and US allies who had urged restraint.

In a post earlier on Truth Social, Trump stated that Iran and US partners in the Middle East had asked him to "hold off" on any attack as the "perimeters" of a deal had been agreed. He added that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, along with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, had urged him against conducting strikes over the weekend, explaining, "The reason they asked is [that] they think there's a deal."

Trump described the planned strikes as potentially "the biggest attack since World War II" and warned they could have jeopardized the prospects of a negotiated end to the months-long conflict. However, he declined to set a deadline for the negotiations, saying, "We'll just see how it is. We're ready to go anytime we want... I'm not looking to kill people."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that negotiations with Oman on a deal concerning the Strait of Hormuz were "on track for finalisation," according to Iranian media. He expressed optimism, stating, "There's a deal on Hormuz, and there will be a deal on the nuclear."

Meanwhile, Iran's acting Defence Minister Majid Ibn al-Reza emphasized that Tehran views every threat from its adversaries as "real and credible," even if it is part of psychological warfare.

Trump has previously indicated that a negotiated end to the war is close, though intermittent strikes have continued.

Sources