On Monday, August 3rd, 2026, US President Donald Trump warned Iran that it faced a "last chance" to sign a peace deal before "decapitation." Speaking from the White House, Trump said that despite denials from Iran's Foreign Ministry, Washington and Tehran had begun fresh negotiations.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that talks were happening at the request of Iran and were backed by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar. He described the negotiations as focused on two key conditions: reopening the Strait of Hormuz and limiting Iran's nuclear program.

"We're talking about the Strait, the opening of the Strait, having it open literally by tomorrow, completely open," Trump said. He added that phase two would address Iran's nuclear capacity, emphasizing that "the denuclearisation of Iran has to happen."

The Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage carrying roughly a quarter of the global seaborne oil trade, had been effectively closed by Tehran following US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, causing significant disruption to energy markets.

On Saturday, Trump announced he had called off a large-scale planned attack on Iran at the request of Tehran and several Middle Eastern countries, stating that the "perimeters of a deal" had been agreed.

However, Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, stated on Monday that there were "no negotiations" with the US but confirmed that talks with Oman were underway to allow the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

Sources