Trump: Iran Talks to Begin Monday After Postponing Strikes

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that negotiations with Iran are set to commence imminently, a diplomatic shift following his decision to halt planned military strikes against the Islamic Republic. "Now what we are doing is talking to them in the form of negotiation. It begins tomorrow afternoon," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, though he provided no specifics on the meeting's location or participants.

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Now what we are doing is talking to them in the form of negotiation. It begins tomorrow afternoon.

This move came after Trump, on Saturday, rescinded threats of a massive retaliatory strike against Iran, which he had described as potentially the largest since World War II. He indicated that the framework for an agreement was already in place. Trump explained his decision by stating that both Iran and U.S. allies, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, had requested the postponement of the strikes. "When the allies asked that it be called off, you have to say something like, 'Well, we'll see.' And the reason they ask is that they think there is a deal," he affirmed.

Trump expressed optimism about reaching a deal, adding, "There is an agreement on (the Strait of Hormuz) and there will be an agreement on the nuclear, or you could call it the denuclearization of Iran." He reflected on the scale of the potential attacks, noting that rebuilding such capabilities would have taken many years, if possible at all.

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When the allies asked that it be called off, you have to say something like, 'Well, we'll see.' And the reason they ask is that they think there is a deal.

The situation unfolds against a backdrop of intermittent diplomacy and escalating tensions. The conflict had seen periods of relative calm interspersed with mutual attacks, including Iran's tightening control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passage for oil transport. A previous ceasefire agreement that included reopening the strait had collapsed, leading to renewed hostilities.

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There is an agreement on (the Strait of Hormuz) and there will be an agreement on the nuclear, or you could call it the denuclearization of Iran.