WASHINGTON DC: US President Donald Trump has indicated that fresh negotiations with Iran could begin on Monday after saying he had cancelled what he described as potentially “massive” military strikes against the country.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said discussions with Tehran would resume through diplomatic channels and were expected to begin on Monday afternoon. He added that Iran had been aware of the scale of the planned operation because preparations were already underway.
Earlier, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Iran and several US allies in the Middle East had urged him to postpone any attack, claiming that the broad framework of a possible agreement had already been outlined.
Iran has not yet publicly responded to Trump’s comments. The US president has repeatedly suggested that a negotiated settlement is within reach, although previous periods of optimism have been followed by renewed exchanges of attacks.
Trump declined to set a deadline for reaching an agreement with Tehran, saying the United States remained prepared to act militarily if necessary but was not seeking to cause loss of life.
He also said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, along with US partners including the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, had encouraged him not to carry out strikes over the weekend. According to Trump, those countries believe progress is possible on issues related to the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme.
Following his announcement, global oil prices fell in Asian trading on Monday. Brent crude dropped 4.5 percent to $83.98 a barrel, while US crude declined 4.6 percent to $80.74.
(Inputs from BBC)
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