The United States says it will resume negotiations with Iran in a renewed diplomatic effort to end months of fighting, after President Donald Trump said he had shelved plans for a major military strike in favour of talks.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said negotiations would begin “tomorrow afternoon” and would focus on the future of the Strait of Hormuz and what he described as the “denuclearization of Iran.”
“Now what we’re doing is we’re talking to them in the form of a negotiation. It begins tomorrow afternoon,” Trump said, without revealing where the talks would take place or who would participate.
The announcement comes as the conflict between Washington and Tehran enters its sixth month. The US and Israel launched military strikes against Iran on 28 February, triggering a prolonged conflict marked by intermittent diplomacy and renewed hostilities.
Trump said he decided against launching what he described as “the biggest attack since World War II” after appeals from Iran and key US allies, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. However, Iranian state media rejected his claim that Tehran requested a halt to planned strikes.
Strait of Hormuz at Centre of Talks
The strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil shipments, is expected to dominate the negotiations.
Iran has maintained tighter control over the waterway since a previous ceasefire agreement collapsed. Tehran currently insists on regulating shipping traffic and charging tolls, a position the United States opposes.
Iranian lawmaker Hassan Ghashghavi, spokesperson for the parliament’s national security commission, confirmed that mediators were attempting to revive a memorandum of understanding agreed between both sides two months ago.
“They know that the main issue and, in fact, the key to the matter right now is the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, so yes, there is an exchange of views,” Ghashghavi said.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also signalled support for continued diplomacy, writing on X: “We must strive to compel the enemy to remain committed to what it has signed.”
Iran Nears Separate Oman Agreement
Iran also says it is close to reaching an agreement with Oman on a new shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the proposed route would balance the interests of both countries while protecting their sovereignty.
“We are now going to reach an understanding on a route acceptable to both sides… one that respects the sovereign rights of both sides and safeguards our national interests and security,” Baqaei told state television.
He stressed that the agreement would not amount to a full reopening of the strait.
Meanwhile, maritime intelligence firm Kpler reported a sharp decline in shipping traffic through Hormuz, highlighting the continued impact of the conflict on global trade.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) also reported that a tanker near Oman’s coast heard an explosion close to the vessel. No injuries or damage were reported, but the incident underscored ongoing security risks in the region.
Oil markets reacted positively to Trump’s announcement, with US benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude falling 4.7% to $80.72 a barrel during early Asian trading as investors welcomed the prospect of renewed diplomacy.
