Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, along with leaders from the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, appealed for restraint in the belief that diplomatic efforts were progressing
By Njoku Vincent
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that fresh negotiations between the United States and Iran are scheduled to begin on Monday, saying he suspended what he described as a planned “massive” military strike to allow diplomacy to continue.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said discussions with Tehran would resume on Monday afternoon, expressing optimism that a negotiated settlement remained within reach.
“We’re talking to them in the form of a negotiation. It begins tomorrow afternoon,” Trump said, adding that the United States was prepared to act militarily if necessary but preferred a peaceful resolution.
“We’ll just see how it is. We’re ready to go anytime we want… I’m not looking to kill people,” he said.
Earlier, in a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed that Iran and several U.S. allies in the Middle East had urged him to postpone military action, arguing that the framework for an agreement had already been established.
According to the U.S. president, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, along with leaders from the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, appealed for restraint in the belief that diplomatic efforts were progressing.
“We were all set to go. The reason they asked is they think there’s a deal,” Trump said, adding that agreements were taking shape on both the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme.
Iran has not officially responded to Trump’s latest remarks. However, the country’s semi-official Mehr News Agency rejected his claim that Tehran had requested a delay in military action, describing the assertion as “nothing but a new lie.”
On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was quoted by Iranian media as saying negotiations, facilitated by Oman, on issues relating to the Strait of Hormuz were progressing and nearing completion.
Trump did not disclose where the latest round of talks would take place or identify those expected to participate.
The U.S. president also said the military operation that was put on hold would have been “the biggest attack since World War II,” warning that such action could have undermined prospects for ending the months-long conflict through negotiations.
He declined to say whether the planned strikes would have targeted Iran’s energy infrastructure, an issue that international legal experts have argued could raise serious concerns under international humanitarian law.
Meanwhile, Iran’s acting Defence Minister, Majid Ibn al-Reza, said Tehran regarded all threats from its adversaries as genuine, even when they appeared to be part of psychological warfare.
The prospect of renewed diplomacy eased concerns in global energy markets, with oil prices falling in early Asian trading on Monday. Brent crude dropped 4.5 per cent to $83.98 per barrel, while U.S. benchmark crude fell 4.6 per cent to $80.74.
Oil markets have experienced sharp fluctuations since the conflict began on February 28, amid concerns over potential disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies are transported.