Washington: US President Donald Trump has announced that the new talks with Iran will take place on Monday, stating that he has put off any plans to launch an attack on Tehran for now in order to try and reach an agreement for ending the war. Iran has not yet publicly admitted to the meeting. The war is now in its sixth month and has an effect on the whole world.
What did Donald Trump say?
On Sunday, Trump told the reporters that the talks will include the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for global oil and gas supplies which has become a major point of dispute in the conflict. He added that the final aim of the talks is to fully dismantle Iran’s nuclear programme.
What did Iran say?
At the same time, Iran stated that it was nearly close to reach an agreement with Oman regarding a new route via the Strait of Hormuz. On Sunday an explosion occurred on an oil tanker in the area, underscoring the highly volatile state of affairs in the important sea route. After Trump announced the resumption of talks, oil prices dropped as the Asian markets opened on Monday, the price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil falling by 4.7 per cent to $80.72 per barrel.
What about the conflict?
War between the US and Iran began on February 28, when the US and Israel carried out a surprise strike on Iran. Although there have been sporadic diplomatic discussions over the last few months, these have temporarily reduced tensions. Fear grew last month when a new offensive was launched, as it seemed possible that the fighting could spread.
What did Trump say about talks?
Trump threatened to carry out a ‘very large’ attack on Iran and there were reports that he was also thinking about launching new attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure. At the same time, the US embassies in the region were placed on alert.
On Saturday, Trump withdrew his earlier position, stating that the framework of an agreement had been finalised. Nevertheless, it must be pointed out that this was not the first instance in which Trump had generated hopes for peace.
On Sunday, when speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said, “We’re now having talks with them, and it will start tomorrow afternoon.” He didn’t, however, say where the talks would take place or who would be taking part.
The US president stated that, together with Iran, his allies, the Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, had asked him to halt the attack. Trump asserted that the attack would have been “the largest since the World War II” if it had taken place. However, the Iranian media denied that Tehran had asked Trump to stop the attack.
What did Iran say about talks?
In addition to that, Hassan Gashgawi, who is the spokesperson and MP for the National Security Committee of the Iranian Parliament, stated on Sunday that the mediators are attempting to re-implement the US-Iran memorandum of understanding signed in June.
