US President Donald Trump (Photo: AP)
Washington: US President Donald Trump said that “we are only semi-negotiating” with Iran, noting that he is prepared to allow economic pressure on Iran to mount — as opposed to ordering a new military offensive, Axios reported.
“We are low keying it,” Trump told Axios during a brief phone call, arguing that Iran “is in very bad shape” economically.
The report noted that an agreement governing traffic in the Strait of Hormuz was negotiated among Iran, Oman and the United States and “has been pending for a few days now.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Saturday, August 8, that Iran and Oman are “very close” to an agreement on the designation of a temporary route for maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, Xinhua reported quoting Iran’s official news agency IRNA.
Araghchi said on Sunday that the resumption of negotiations between Iran and the United States would not be possible unless the latter ends its violation of the MoU recently signed between the two countries.
Araghchi made the remarks while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event in Tehran, stressing that no negotiations are currently underway between the two sides.
Earlier on Tuesday, August 4, Trump said that Iran will be “hit very hard” if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened “very soon.”
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said the United States is “having very good discussions” with Iran. But Tehran denied it is having any talks with Washington.
Trump earlier warned that he was giving Iran a “last chance before decapitation”, he said that they were talking about opening the Strait of Hormuz “literally by tomorrow”.
“I mean they’re going to go quickly, one way or the other. It’s not very complex”, he said on Monday, August 10, at the Oval Office.
“We’re talking about the Strait, the opening of the Strait, having it open, literally by tomorrow”, he said, but Iran has denied there were any talks with the US.
The contradictory claims leave the gateway to the world for 20 per cent of fossil fuels trapped in uncertainty.
The Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee has approved the general outlines of a strategic action plan to “ensure the security and sustainable progress” of the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf, the official news agency IRNA reported.
The plan was discussed at a committee meeting and approved without opposition, IRNA quoted committee spokesperson Hassan Qashqavi as saying.
Qashqavi said lawmakers reviewed submissions from relevant Iranian bodies before endorsing the plan’s general framework, Xinhua news agency reported.
The legislation was formally introduced to the parliament on July 13, according to IRNA.
Iran tightened its grip on the strait on February 28, barring safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following their joint strikes on Iranian territory.
In June, Iran and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding on ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon. The two sides were scheduled to hold negotiations within a 60-day period to reach a final agreement, but recent escalation in the region has left the talks’ fate uncertain.
In July, the US military launched multiple waves of strikes on Iranian targets, saying they were in response to Iranian attacks on vessels in the strait and aimed at “degrading Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping.” Iran responded with missile and drone strikes on US military bases and facilities in the region.
Iran and Oman have been negotiating since a few weeks ago to reach an agreement on the designation of a new route in the strait for safe maritime traffic.
This post was last modified on August 10, 2026 11:50 am