Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said the discussions with Iran are “not very complex” and “going to go quickly” this time around, claiming that the Strait of Hormuz could open fully “literally by tomorrow,” in what he claimed was “phase one” of an agreement.
That would be followed by a “second phase” of talks on Iran’s denuclearization, which the president acknowledged would “take a little while.”
Trump is seeking negotiations with Tehran after calling off airstrikes against Iran in favor of diplomacy, the fifth time he’s done so since April. He said Sunday the U.S. had “an attack planned that would have been the biggest attack since World War II” before Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar reached out to the U.S.
“Many, many countries called … and they all wanted to give this a last chance. This is a last chance,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Monday. “This is a last chance for them to sign a good document.”
Asked later what is different this time around, Trump replied, “I want to give them every last chance before decapitation."
The president’s assurances come as Iran earlier on Monday pushed back on the claim it was negotiating on the Strait of Hormuz and ending the war, saying it was only talking with Oman to set up a “temporary” route for vessels to pass safely through the vital shipping corridor.
Trump lashed out at that response, calling Iranian leadership “unbelievably duplicitous!” in a post to Truth Social.
The president's frequent vacillation between threats to lay waste to Iran and a push for talks has cast doubt on the U.S. ability to strike a meaningful deal to end the conflict anytime soon.
Read the full report at thehill.com.
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