- US President Trump signaled diplomacy with Iran, threatening renewed strikes.
- Iran confirmed ongoing exchanges, alleging illegal US maritime blockade.
- Drone attacks by Iran-backed groups tested the fragile ceasefire.
US President Donald Trump said Monday that Washington was engaged in “good talks” with Iran and that an agreement to end their conflict could be within reach, while warning that American military strikes would resume if negotiations fail.
Trump’s comments came as the fragile pause in the US air campaign faced an immediate test, with Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq reporting drone attacks on Monday. The developments raised fresh questions over whether the temporary halt could hold as diplomatic efforts continue.
Washington abruptly suspended a two-week campaign of air strikes against Iran on Saturday, marking Trump’s latest strategic shift in the five-month-old conflict. The president has since indicated that the pause could lead to negotiations, but has made clear that military action remains an option.
Trump Warns Of Return To Military Action
“We’re having good talks,” Trump said on Monday. “I think there’s a good chance that something could happen, and if it does, good, if it doesn’t, we go back to doing what we were doing two days ago.”
Later at a campaign rally in Michigan, Trump struck a tougher tone while discussing Iran. “You can’t bribe them. You’ve got to beat them, and we’ll beat the hell out of them. But we’ll see how it turns out,” he said, adding that “very friendly negotiations” were currently taking place.
The contrasting remarks underscored the uncertainty surrounding the ceasefire. While Trump has signalled an opening for diplomacy, his threat to resume strikes if talks fail leaves the possibility of renewed US military action hanging over the negotiations.
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Iran Says Messages Are Still Being Exchanged
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Monday that messages were continuing to pass between Tehran and Washington through mediators. He said Iran had not abandoned diplomacy, but rejected reports that Tehran had sought negotiations as “fabricated”.
“This is not in our DNA,” Baghaei said.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Sunday that Iran would also halt its attacks for as long as Trump’s self-imposed ceasefire remained in place. However, Iran’s central military command accused the US on Monday of threatening vessels and oil tankers in Iranian territorial waters and attempting to impose what it called an “illegal maritime blockade”.
Iran said such actions amounted to an escalation of the regional conflict, adding another layer of tension to an already fragile pause in fighting.
Drone Attacks Raise Fresh Concerns Over Ceasefire
Saudi Arabia said it had shot down drones targeting petroleum facilities, including targets in Riyadh. The kingdom said the drones had been launched from Iraq by Iran-backed armed groups and warned that it reserved the right to respond.
Separately, Iran’s Houthi allies in Yemen claimed they had targeted the East-West Pipeline, which carries oil to Saudi Arabia’s main Red Sea port of Yanbu. The group described the attack as retaliation for Saudi drone incursions.
The latest reports came as Tehran also maintained that it remained in control of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically vital waterway for global energy supplies. Trump has demanded that vessels be allowed to move through the strait freely, making the waterway another potential flashpoint as Washington and Tehran weigh their next moves.
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Oil Prices Tumble As War Weighs On Trump
The uncertainty surrounding the conflict has also carried political consequences for Trump and his Republican Party. Public disapproval of the war has been weighing on the president ahead of November’s midterm elections, when Republicans will seek to defend their slim majorities in Congress.
The developments leave Trump facing a delicate balancing act: pursue negotiations that could bring the conflict to an end while maintaining pressure on Tehran and keeping the option of renewed military action open if diplomacy fails.
