Trump Says Iran Talks To Resume August 3 After Calling Off 'Biggest Attack Since WWII’
US President Donald Trump said he called off the “biggest attack since World War II” against Iran following a plea from Tehran and requests from US Gulf allies, adding that peace negotiations would resume on August 3, with a deal on the crucial Strait of Hormuz “imminent.”
"Now what we're doing is we're talking to them in the form of a negotiation. It begins tomorrow [August 3] afternoon,” he told reporters on Air Force One on August 2.
Trump did not discuss the participants or a venue for any fresh negotiations. Qatar and Pakistan have been acting as mediators in talks between Washington and Tehran. On July 30, Qatar's Foreign Ministry said no high-level meeting was scheduled in Doha in the coming days following earlier remarks by Trump.
"I'd love to [make a deal]," Trump said. "It would save a lot of lives...So we had an attack that would have been the biggest attack since World War II and it would have been disastrous for them. And they didn't want us to do it."
He said he was asked by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, along with Iran, to call off the planned air strikes on Iran. Trump said Tehran asked "very strongly" to hold off. "They said we want to make a deal," he added.
"We were all set to go, at about this time right now, and it would have been a massive attack."
"But when the allies asked to call it off...and the reason they did is because they think there's a deal. There's a deal on Hormuz and there will be a deal on the...denuclearization of Iran."
"A deal is imminent having to do with the Hormuz Strait and also, ultimately, the denuclearization of Iran," he said.
The remarks followed up on comments he made a day earlier when he said had decided to "hold off" on fresh attacks because "the perimeters" of a deal had been agreed to with Tehran and that Israel was joining him in the commitment.
"The U.S.A. is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II. Despite this, we have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to," Trump posted on Truth Social late on August 1.
"This would include the Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran's nuclear threat."
"Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL," he wrote.
Trump has often threatened major attacks on Iran only to call them off, claiming an agreement between Washington and Tehran was imminent. Until now, a lasting peace agreement has been elusive, with tit-for-tat strikes by both sides resuming.
However, according to Iranian media, military sources in Iran denied Trump's claim that Tehran had asked Washington to refrain from launching new attacks.
Iran’s Mehr News Agency on August 2 quoted the unnamed sources as saying Trump's statement was "simply a new lie" and an attempt to "blackmail the rulers of the Persian Gulf and pressure them with threats."
Tehran did not immediately comment on the latest remarks regarding resumption of talks on August 3.
Although Trump initially said the elimination of Tehran's nuclear threat was the major aim of the US-Israeli war with Iran, which began on February 28, in recent weeks he has focused on the free flow of traffic through the important Strait of Hormuz.
More than 20 percent of the world's oil and gas supplies moved through the strait prewar, but Iran has at times effectively shut down the waterway, including with attacks on ships it said had not received proper approval from Tehran. Iran has also threatened to impose fees or tolls on ships in the strait.
The United States and other countries have insisted the strait is an international waterway and is not under the control of any nation.
Washington and Tehran signed a 60-day memorandum of understanding (MOU) on June 17 aimed at ending hostilities and reopening the strait. However, disputes over the meaning of the terms in the agreement have led to fresh attacks by both sides.
Early on August 3, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said it received a report of an incident involving a tanker some 20 nautical miles northeast of the Omani port of Khasab.
UKMTO said the master of a tanker reported hearing an explosion near the vessel, adding that the ship and its crew were safe.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen in recent weeks opened a new front in the war by targeting oil facilities and striking oil tankers in the Red Sea as part of a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, threatening to create a second chokepoint on global oil supplies after the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Five Men Arrested Near UK Air Base Used By US Forces In Iran War
British police have arrested several men on suspicion of explosives offenses near an air base used by US forces, prompting the evacuation of residents from nearby homes.
Police declared a major incident on September 27 near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, western England, and said army bomb-disposal experts were examining several vehicles.
RAF Fairford is used by the US Air Force and has been used for US military operations against Iran.
Several properties in the nearby village of Whelford were evacuated, and residents were taken to a local leisure center, police said.
Armed police were seen blocking access to the main gate of the base, according to Reuters.
In March, Britain granted the United States permission to use RAF Fairford and another British base for what the government described as specific and limited defensive action against Iranian missile facilities. The permission was later extended to missile sites and capabilities threatening shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps warned in July that any base used for strikes against Iran would be considered a legitimate target, according to Reuters.
There was no immediate indication that the arrests were connected to Iran or to any foreign government.
The US Air Force said it remained vigilant and would take appropriate measures to protect US personnel, civilians, contractors, and their families, according to Reuters.
British authorities have also warned in recent months about the threat of hostile activity and possible sabotage by state actors, including Russia. The British government has said it does not comment on specific intelligence or security threats.
Gloucestershire police said it believed the incident was contained.
UPDATE: Counter-terrorism police said five men remain in custody and have been arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans said police were in the "early stages of an investigation" and were working with Gloucestershire Police and other partners to gather evidence.
A 400-meter cordon remains in place around the vehicles while the Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit examines them, Evans said. Some 85 households have been evacuated.
The BBC reported that a wheeled robot was operating next to three parked white vans as the bomb-disposal team examined the vehicles in Whelford.
US Treasury Chief Hails Success Of New Economic Measures On Iran
US Treasury chief Scott Bessent said he had deployed representatives around the globe to pressure countries to economically isolate Iran, citing new restrictions that have targeted the Islamic republic's airline and banking sectors.
"At my direction, teams were dispatched across the globe to engage with countries and demand action against the Iranian regime," he wrote on X. "These efforts are delivering results."
Bessent said the United Arab Emirates has stopped all flights by Iranian airlines and that Turkey and Oman have halted incoming flights from Mahan Air.
The UAE's emirate of Dubai is a major destination for Iranian carriers, with multiple flights each day, and a large Iranian community.
A Wall Street Journal article shared by Bessent said Treasury's assistant secretary for terrorist financing traveled across the Middle East and Europe over two weeks to press the plan to impose what Bessent called "economic D-Day" on Iran.
Discussions were held with more than 50 countries, the Journal reported.
With reporting by AFP
Saudis Call On Global Community To Help Ensure Free Sea Traffic In Region
Saudi Arabia called on UN members to join efforts to defend freedom of navigation in vital Middle East waterways, calling the current situation a threat to global energy security.
"The international community has been absent from assuming its responsibilities in confronting all that threatens international peace and security," Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan told the UN General Assembly on September 26.
Iran has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and its Houthi allies in Yemen have done similar actions in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Both are crucial routes for transit of oil and gas exports.
"The kingdom stresses the importance of guaranteeing the protection of freedom of navigation in all international waterways, foremost among them the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden," he said.
He also demanded "the return of conditions in the Strait of Hormuz to what they were before February 28, without imposing any fees or taxes.”
Tehran has insisted it has the right to charge transit charges or similar fees to allow sea traffic to flow through the Strait of Hormuz, while the global community insists that the passage is an international waterway and not under the control of any one nation.
With reporting by AFP
Iraq In Talks With US Over Exemption From Sanctions On Iranian Airlines
The Iraqi government said on September 26 that it was in talks with Washington to secure an exemption from US sanctions on Iranian airlines that have grounded Tehran's civilian fleet in several countries where they operate.
"The Iraqi government is holding direct talks with the American side to exempt certain Iraqi airports from these measures," the Iraqi prime minister's media office said, adding that the move would allow flights to resume "for humanitarian reasons, including medical treatment, education, religious visits."
Earlier in the week, after a number of countries, including the Middle East's biggest travel hub, the United Arab Emirates, restricted flights to and from Iran, Iraq suspended such flights at the country's airports in Baghdad, Najaf, Erbil, and Sulaimaniya.
Iran's ambassador to Iraq Mohammad Kazem Al-Sadegh said in an interview with the Iranian news agency ISNA that Tehran was in contact with the Baghdad to find a way to restore the flights, adding that there are "roughly 25 daily flights from Iran to Najaf and about 15 flights to Baghdad."
Iraqi airlines stopped flying to Iran when the conflict in the Middle East began earlier this year.
With reporting by AFP.
Trump Rejects Iran's Plan To Reopen Strait Of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump said on September 26 that he was "rejecting" Iran's seven-day plan to reopen the key Strait of Hormuz as unacceptable.
"I'm rejecting their deal. They want to make a deal where they open the strait immediately because they're losing so badly," Trump told reporters outside the White House. "I like making a deal, too, but that deal would not be acceptable."
A day earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran had given Washington a "concrete" plan to reopen the strait, requiring steps similar to those outlined in a memorandum the two countries signed in Islamabad earlier this year.
The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has been a major obstacle to a negotiated settlement aimed at ending the war between the United States and Iran.
In response to US and Israeli attacks, Tehran restricted access to the strait at the start of the war, disrupting global oil markets and sending prices soaring. Washington, in turn, imposed a naval blockade on Iran, diverting ships and preventing them from reaching the country's ports.
Trump said the United States had "total control" over the Strait of Hormuz. He said that "massive amounts of oil" were moving through the waterway, with 29 ships crossing the chokepoint over the past day.
"They outsmarted themselves," the US president added, saying Washington had cut off one of Tehran's main sources of income with its naval blockade. "They don't have any money now, because they wanted to close the strait, and we closed it on them."
UPDATE: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on September 27 that Tehran had seen the reported remarks by Trump to its proposal but had not yet received an official response through mediators.
Araqchi said Iran was waiting for the mediators to convey the definitive US position and would make a decision based on it.
The foreign minister said that only diplomacy can end the conflict.
"Our conditions are clear, and any move toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz is contingent on these conditions being met," he said. "Only a negotiated solution can get them out of this deadlock."
Trump Warned Xi Against Supporting Iran, US Ambassador Says
WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump directly warned Chinese President Xi Jinping against providing assistance to Iran during their talks in Washington, according to the US ambassador to China, offering new details about an issue that had loomed over Xi's visit.
Ambassador David Perdue, who attended the bilateral meetings, told CNBC that Trump made clear that any Chinese assistance to Tehran -- including intelligence, components, or military equipment -- was "totally unacceptable."
“There’s been indirect support we think, but there’s no direct evidence. We’re very concerned about this indirect work and we’ve made that very clear,” Perdue said.
In a separate interview with Fox News, Perdue said Beijing had given Washington assurances that it was not providing such assistance.
“We've seen movement...on that already. That's what the commitment is. They assured us yesterday they're not doing that,” he said.
The comments come after US lawmakers and national-security experts had urged Trump to confront Xi over allegations that Chinese entities have helped Iran through satellite intelligence, weapons components, and purchases of sanctioned Iranian oil.
Beijing has denied providing Tehran with military or intelligence support.
Xi instead publicly called for Washington and Tehran to return to negotiations aimed at ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran Says It Gave US 'Concrete' Plan To Reopen Strait Of Hormuz
Tehran has given Washington a "concrete" plan to reopen the key Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on September 25.
"If the necessary conditions are met, the strait can be reopened, a normal maritime passage restored within seven days. The choice now rests with the United States," he told reporters at the United Nations.
"The actions that the United States should take are not new," Araqchi added. He did not specify the steps Washington would have to take but said they were similar to those outlined in a memorandum of understanding the two countries had signed in Islamabad earlier this year.
The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has long been a central issue in the war between the United States and Iran and a major obstacle to a negotiated settlement aimed at ending the broader conflict in the Middle East.
Since the early days of the war, Tehran has restricted access to the waterway in response to US and Israeli attacks on Iran, disrupting global oil markets and sending prices soaring. In the following months, it also sought to impose a toll on vessels passing through the strait.
The United States, in turn, imposed a naval blockade on Iran in mid-April and reinstated it in July, diverting ships and preventing them from reaching Iranian ports.
Yemen’s President Calls On Yemenis To Mobilize Amid Houthi Attacks
Rashid al-Alimi, the Riyadh-based president of Yemen’s Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government, called on Yemenis on September 25 to mobilize and join the armed forces.
Al-Alimi also offered a future general amnesty to Iran-backed Houthi fighters and affiliates who leave the group on or after September 26.
Yemen descended into civil war in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, ousting the internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government. A 2022 truce had largely held until recently.
In July, a spate of attacks began after the Houthis welcomed an Iranian plane to Sanaa.
Earlier this month, Houthi rebels seized nearly all of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, giving the militant group control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key chokepoint for global trade. They have also intensified attacks on energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter.
With reporting by Reuters.
Iraqi Airports Suspend Iranian Flights As US Targets Tehran’s Aviation Sector
Iraqi airports have suspended flights operated by Iranian airlines after the United States targeted Tehran’s aviation sector. At least five other countries have imposed similar restrictions.
All flights to and from Iran have been suspended at airports in Baghdad, Najaf, Erbil, and Sulaimaniya, according to Iraqi state media and sources cited by Reuters on September 25.
Two days earlier, Washington had announced that it would impose sanctions on any company doing business with Iranian airlines, aiming to ground Tehran's entire civilian fleet worldwide.
The announcement was followed by flight suspensions in Oman, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkmenistan, and the United Arab Emirates, the Middle East’s biggest travel hub.
With reporting by Reuters.
At Asian Games, Hadiani Becomes Iran's First Woman To Compete In Gymnastics Since 1979
Twenty-year-old gymnast Hengameh Hadiani has become the first Iranian woman to compete in gymnastics at the Asian Games since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
For 47 years, Iran’s hard-line authorities had refused to issue competition licenses to female gymnasts because of the country’s dress code restrictions.
On September 22, she placed 13th in artistic gymnastics at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, with Iranian state-affiliated media celebrating her achievement as a “historic performance.”
The shift in tone echoes a pattern in state media coverage of women’s participation in other sports and activities. Reports celebrating such breakthroughs often overlook the official arguments used for decades to justify the restrictions.
About three years ago, for example, Mahin Farhadizadeh, a former Iranian deputy sports minister, said that standard gymnastics violated the Islamic republic’s “cultural standards,” adding that rhythmic gymnastics had “no athletic or medal value whatsoever.”
Iran has already won 24 medals in Nagoya, including six golds, 11 silver, and seven bronze.