Trump says Iran ‘begged’ for talks, warns of ‘total surrender’

US President Donald Trump on Monday, August 3, claimed Iran had privately sought negotiations with Washington while publicly denying any contact, warning that US pressure would continue until Tehran agreed to a deal or accepted what he called “total surrender”.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused Iran’s leadership of sending conflicting messages, alleging that its officials had requested a meeting despite insisting publicly that no negotiations with the United States were taking place.

“They ask for a meeting, some would say ‘beg’,” Trump wrote, adding that talks had begun and that more discussions were scheduled in the near future.

The post followed Iran’s rejection of Trump’s earlier claim that a fresh round of negotiations between Washington and Tehran would begin on Monday. Speaking aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said he had decided against launching another military strike because he believed diplomacy remained possible.

“I’d rather make a deal. I’m not looking to kill people,” Trump said, adding that negotiations would begin “tomorrow afternoon”.

Iran swiftly denied the assertion. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said no negotiations with the United States were planned and that no meetings had been scheduled in the coming days. He added that Iran’s only ongoing discussions with Oman concerned the management of the Strait of Hormuz. A senior Iranian source also told Reuters that no talks with Washington were planned.

Trump also claimed the Strait of Hormuz was effectively under the control of the US Navy through what he described as a naval blockade, referring to it as the “United States Wall of Steel”.

“Nothing gets through to Iran, unless we want it to,” Trump wrote, adding that restrictions would remain in place until “a deal, or total surrender, is accomplished”.

He concluded the post by reiterating his long-standing position on Tehran’s nuclear programme, declaring that Iran would never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.

The latest exchange underscores the continuing diplomatic impasse between Washington and Tehran. While Trump has maintained that diplomacy remains an option, Iranian officials continue to reject claims that direct negotiations with the United States are under way.