Trump Says US-Iran Talks to Begin Monday After Calls to Halt Planned Strikes

Washington, Aug 2026 : US President Donald Trump has said negotiations with Iran will begin on Monday afternoon after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar urged Washington to call off planned military strikes, arguing that a diplomatic agreement could be within reach.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while travelling to Joint Base Andrews, Trump said discussions would focus on the Strait of Hormuz as well as Iran’s nuclear programme.

“There’s a deal on (the Strait of) Hormuz, and then there will be a deal on the nuclear, or you might call it the denuclearization of Iran,” Trump said.

Trump claimed that Iran had also requested Washington to suspend its planned military action, leading the US administration to shift towards negotiations. He said the immediate focus would be on reaching an agreement that could address both the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz and concerns surrounding Iran’s nuclear activities.

The development followed diplomatic contacts involving several countries in the Middle East. Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud spoke with Trump on Saturday and expressed concern while seeking clarification about the proposed US course of action against Iran, according to a US official cited by Axios.

Other countries, including Pakistan, Qatar, the UAE and Turkiye, have also called on Washington and Tehran to reduce tensions and prevent the situation from escalating into a wider conflict.

Earlier on Sunday, Trump announced that the United States had agreed to postpone a planned military attack on Iran following appeals from Tehran and several Middle Eastern countries. He claimed that the broad framework of a potential agreement had already been reached.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the US military remained fully prepared to act against Iran but that Washington had decided to give diplomacy an opportunity.

Trump issued a strong warning while announcing the pause, saying the United States was “locked and loaded” and ready to use military force against Iran at an unprecedented level. At the same time, he said diplomatic efforts could prevent the planned confrontation if a deal was reached quickly.

According to Trump, the proposed agreement would involve the “Immediate, Complete, and Total” opening of the Strait of Hormuz, along with measures aimed at ending what he described as Iran’s nuclear threat.

He said he had agreed to cancel the planned attack in response to requests from Iran and other countries, but made clear that the decision was conditional on the ability of negotiators to rapidly reach an agreement.

Trump also claimed that Israel supported the decision to pursue diplomacy rather than immediately proceed with military action.

The announcement marks a significant shift from the threat of imminent military action towards negotiations, although Trump’s comments indicate that Washington continues to keep military options available. The coming talks are expected to determine whether the diplomatic opening can produce a broader agreement on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme while preventing further escalation in the region.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)