Trump says talks with Iran to start on Monday to reopen the Strait of Hormuz | LIVE BLOG
President Trump has not given a deadline for an agreement despite hopes of “rapidly” reaching a deal. He also did not mention where negotiations would take place or who would be involved
US President Donald Trump says talks with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz will begin on Monday. This followed Sunday’s early morning announcement that he halted strikes against the Islamic Regime “at the behest of Iran and other Middle Eastern countries” pending a deal. One of those other countries included Saudi Arabia, which confirmed its Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman had spoken with Trump before he decided to halt the attack. According to reports, MBS was concerned that Iranian retaliation to another US strike would lead to attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure.
Despite halting attacks, Trump still used the moment to threaten Iran, saying he would use levels of military strength “not seen since World War II.” This threat was confirmed to i24NEWS by an Israeli official who said a strike on Iran is still on the table. They say that while Jerusalem is disappointed in the President’s decision to attempt diplomatic talks, Washington has also grown increasingly skeptical that diplomacy will produce a genuine, lasting agreement with Tehran. They assess that the US is giving negotiations one final, limited window. If talks fail, they believe military action remains a real possibility. READ MORE FROM SUNDAY