Closing summary
-
New talks between Washington and Tehran are the “last chance” for Iran to forge a deal and avoid an escalation of US strikes on the country, Donald Trump said on Monday. It comes a day after the US president again said he had called off further “massive strikes” because Gulf allies had urged diplomacy. It’s all very consistent with Trump’s repeated pattern over the last five months as he struggles to find an off-ramp; he threatens devastating military action, only to pull back at the last minute and claim the two sides are on the brink of an agreement to end the war. As my colleague Patrick Wintour notes, this is thought to be the 12th time in the war that Trump has called off threatened strikes.
-
Indeed, Trump said he expected negotiations to begin in the next day or two to reopen the strait and create a pathway for Iran to address the US’s concerns about its nuclear programme. “The first phase is the opening of the straits. The second phase will be the denuclearization,” he told reporters in the Oval Office. “And that will take a little while.” He also reiterated that he was running out of patience with Iran, saying “this the last chance for them to sign a good document.”
-
However, Tehran had on Monday denied that talks with the US were taking place. Esmaeil Baghaei, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, told reporters at a weekly press briefing on Monday that Iran is not currently holding any talks with the US – contradicting claims made by Trump on Sunday night that talks with Iran would happen the next day.
-
Baghaei said that there were no plans to receive a delegation or send an Iranian one, and that Iran’s current focus was on negotiations with Oman over the strait of Hormuz. “We are now going to reach an understanding on a route acceptable to both sides – neither the northern route nor the southern route – but one that respects the sovereign rights of both sides and safeguards our national interests and security,” he said in an interview with Iranian state television.
-
To that, the US president called the Iranian leadership “unbelievably duplicitous” in a post on social media. He wrote on Truth Social: “They ask for a meeting, some would say ‘beg’, talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they’re not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they’re only dealing with ‘Oman’.”
Updated
Analysis: Trump meets his obstinate match in Iran’s hardball regime
The Donald Trump doctrine has always contained a tenuous relationship with the truth. It was his mentor, the infamous New York lawyer Roy Cohn, who taught the young real estate mogul always to claim victory and never to admit defeat. Unfortunately for Trump, in Iran the US president has found a counterpart just as stubborn as himself.
As Trump claims new negotiations are to begin with Tehran this week, Iran has shown it can also reignite the conflict by lobbing ballistic missiles at US bases in the region and maintaining a stranglehold on the strait of Hormuz, effectively taking initiative in the stalled peace process. And time is of the essence for Trump as the clock ticks toward a global energy crisis and a painful midterm elections for him and his Republican party.
But as soon as his latest attempt to hammer out a peace deal was announced, it was denied by Iran and the US president was left fuming once again.
Trump has suggested dozens of times since the beginning of the war that a deal with Iran is imminent, and his latest claim that new negotiations could produce a peace deal within days has shown the administration’s desperation to reopen the strait and find a road map out of the crisis. After promising to hit Iran “very hard”, Trump made a U-turn on Sunday and claimed that talks would continue and that the “perimeters of a deal” for the opening of Hormuz and the “denuclearization of Iran” had been agreed.
Unfortunately, the Iranians don’t agree. In a statement on Monday, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson denied any peace negotiations were taking place. “We are not currently negotiating with the United States,” said Esmaeil Baqaei. “Our negotiations are with Oman to secure passage through the strait of Hormuz.”
That may result in an agreement. But that will not result in the return of the strait of Hormuz to its prewar status, Baqaei added, in effect keeping the waterway a political football for the foreseeable future. “We must ensure that the strait of Hormuz cannot be misused by parties that have committed aggression against Iran,” said Baqaei.
Little has changed since the last round of negotiations. Iran remains capable of closing the strait of Hormuz and stifling shipping – including a fifth of global oil supply – through the crucial waterway. The US remains capable of inflicting devastating strikes on Iran – despite a shortage of key munitions that could be needed for a war against key rivals like China – but has a lack of meaningful targets that could force Iran to change its policy.
The Trump administration has been signalling a desire to end the conflict since April and three ceasefires have come and collapsed since then. With just over three months left until the US midterm elections, in which the Republicans are expected to lose the House and possibly even the Senate, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll last week showed that fewer than a third of Americans support the war in Iran, and 69% believe that Trump has not “clearly explained the goals of US military involvement in Iran”.
For Iran, the strategic unpredictability has become a new weapon in a war that has counterintuitively strengthened its negotiating position, giving the regime new tools in slowing global oil supply and in attacking regional US allies in the Gulf.
Iran has concluded that its best strategy is to “maximise the pain that they can impose on the United States and its partners in the region”, said Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and an expert on Middle East security issues with a focus on Iran, during the institute’s podcast last week. The view there was that Trump “is not really yet ready for a deal with Iran, not a deal that would work for the Iranians anyway”.
Iran is also facing a time crunch with a US blockade in effect halting trade out of the country.
“They are now at a point where they don’t think just sitting back and having one round after another of diplomatic talks is the best way forward,” he added. “They’re trying to shake things up to try get Trump’s attention and see if they can get a different result.”
Trump slams oil companies 'making too much money' amid war
Speaking in the Oval Office earlier, Trump also said that major oil companies are making “too much money” due to high prices stemming from his war on Iran, as he seeks to address his party’s political vulnerability ahead of the US midterm elections in November.
“I don’t like it. They’re making too much money, okay? Based on a shortage, they’re making too much money. I don’t like it, and I should be the last one to say because I’m a big free enterprise guy,” he said. “Nobody bigger, and you know, you’re going to see oil when we’re finished with Iran. You’re going to see the prices drop through the floor. But they made too much money, too much money. Chevron, too much money. Exxon Mobil, too much, too much money.”
High gasoline prices are a key political issue for Trump as his Republican Party heads into the midterms, with Democrats seeking to wrest control of Congress from them.
The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in the United States is up more than 37% since the start of the war, launched by Trump and Israel in late February.
The war has seen Iran’s retaliatory action target Washington’s allies in the Gulf and virtually block the vital strait of Hormuz, with both moves sending energy prices skyrocketing.
US petroleum giants ExxonMobil and Chevron released blowout profits on Friday, reflecting a major lift from the war that easily offset negative effects at both companies.
ExxonMobil’s second-quarter profits more than doubled to $14.5bn, while Chevron’s came in at $12.1bn, more than five times the level in the year-ago quarter.
Other major oil companies have also reported massive profits on the back of the war.
Trump, a strong supporter of fossil fuel interests, has lashed out over prices at the pump, announcing in June that he was directing the US Department of Justice to investigate any “gouging” perpetrated by the industry.
On Monday, he slammed the oil companies for their profits, saying he was “not happy about it”:
When you look at one company where they made 12 times what they made the year before, they ought to give some of that back to the public, and they better cut the retail price, the consumer price.
Too much money. You surprised I’m saying it. I’ll say it loud and clear. I’m not happy about it.
With Agence-France Press.
Updated
Trump says ‘this is the last chance’ for Iran to sign ‘a good document’
Donald Trump also said that newly planned talks with Tehran – which again, Iran has denied – are the “last chance” for Tehran to forge a deal and avoid an escalation of US strikes on the country.
The US president reiterated that he’s running out of patience, telling reporters:
We are talking right now [with Iran] at the request of Iran, backed by Saudi Arabia, backed by the UAE, and backed by Qatar in particular, but others also. Many countries called … but if it doesn’t happen, this is the last chance for them to sign a good document.
Earlier, Trump also claimed – as he has in the past – that it was Iran who made contact with his administration to relaunch peace talks. He said:
They called me and they said, please don’t attack. We’ll make a deal. That’s the real truth. And everyone knows it. And who wouldn’t call?
One journalist in the Oval Office asked Trump what was different about this pause in airstrikes to previous occasions.
Here was his response:
I think we’re going to maybe get something, but I want to give them every last chance before decapitation. It’s very tough to do what I – what we – have planned. Still planned. We’ll see what happens. But it’s very, very tough thing to do. I think, I’m very proud of the fact that … I’ll give people a chance.
'I'm not going to let them charge anybody,' Trump says of tolls in strait of Hormuz
Trump said allowing Iran to charge a toll on ships passing through the strait of Hormuz was not on the negotiating table.
“I’m not going to let them charge anybody,” he said. “We have total control. You know, we have a thing called a blockade with the US Navy.”
Strait of Hormuz could open 'by tomorrow': Trump
Donald Trump is speaking at an executive order signing at the White House, where he was asked where direct talks with Iran would take place.
“You’ll find out today or tomorrow,” he said. “They’re going to go quickly one way or the other. It’s not very complex.”
Trump said the strait of Hormuz could be open “literally by tomorrow”.
“The first phase is the opening of the straits. The second phase will be the denuclearisation,” he said. “That’ll take a little while, but … we’re very strong on it.”
Updated
Intermediaries yet to confirm date or venue for resumption of stalled negotiations between US and Iran, Pakistani government sources say
Staying in Islamabad, Pakistani government sources have told Turkish news agency AA that intermediaries were yet to confirm a date or venue for the resumption of stalled negotiations between the US and Iran.
No direct talks were scheduled in Pakistan’s capital in the next 24 hours, the agency reported.
Donald Trump earlier insisted direct negotiations with Iran would begin on Monday afternoon.
Mediators from Pakistan and Qatar are in contact with both Washington and Tehran, AA reported, with Islamabad and Doha likely venues for the proposed talks.
A senior Pakistani official with direct knowledge of contacts between Islamabad, Washington, and Tehran told the Guardian over a phone on Monday that despite the current impasse, Pakistan remains actively engaged in quiet diplomacy aimed at reducing tensions between the US and Iran, insisting that Islamabad’s offer to help facilitate dialogue between the two sides “is still intact”.
“We are actively involved in efforts to resolve US-Iran tensions,” the official said. “Our offer to facilitate contacts has not changed. The understanding reached earlier remains intact, and we continue to engage both sides.”
The official said Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has remained in close contact with senior US officials, including vice-president JD Vance and the US special envoy Steve Witkoff, as part of efforts to prevent further escalation in the region.
“Field Marshal Asim Munir has been in contact with JD Vance and Steve Witkoff,” the official said. “These have been substantive discussions focused on regional stability and de-escalation.”
At the same time, the official said Islamabad has maintained high-level communication with Tehran, including hours-long talks between Munir and Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi.
“There have also been hours-long discussions with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi,” the official said. “Pakistan has channels open with both Washington and Tehran and believes dialogue remains the only viable path to avoid a wider regional conflict.”
The official declined to disclose details of the exchanges but said Pakistan sees itself as one of the few countries maintaining the confidence of both capitals, allowing it to quietly encourage diplomatic engagement at a time of heightened regional tensions.
Despite Trump insisting that talks with Iran began on Monday afternoon, officials tell CBS News there’s nothing new to announce after all, just the same negotiations, run through mediators by envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Trump calls Iran 'unbelievably duplicitous' as says US blockade will continue until 'deal, or total surrender'
Donald Trump has lashed out after Iran denied it was in negotiations with the United States, declaring in an angry social media post that a US military blockade will continue until there is a “Deal, or Total surrender.”
Calling Iranian leaders “duplicitous” for “openly and proudly” saying Iran was not negotiating, Trump wrote: “Whether Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking of a solution to a problem that they have caused, for decades.”
The US president wrote on his Truth Social platform:
Iranian Leadership is unbelievably duplicitous! They ask for a meeting, some would say “beg,” talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they’re not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they’re only dealing with “Oman.” They then go on to give their usual blather in saying, the Strait of Hormuz will be operated powerfully by them, when it is already completely controlled by the United States Navy and our “Blockade” or, as some say, “The United States Wall of Steel!” Nothing gets through to Iran, unless we want it to, and nothing will get through, unless a Deal, or Total Surrender, is accomplished. Whether Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking of a solution to a problem that they have caused, for decades. It is very simple, IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!
Updated
People walk near a billboard depicting Iran’s late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on a street in Tehran, Iran, earlier today.
Six Saudi-flagged supertankers have changed course in the Gulf of Aden in recent days amid threats from the Iran-aligned Houthis, Reuters reports.
The tankers, which were empty of cargo after returning from destinations in Asia, opted to avoid transit through the southern Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint by sailing in formation toward southern Africa, according to automatic identification systems data collected by Reuters.
The Houthis of Yemen, who control the capital Sana’a and much of its Red Sea coastline, announced on 20 July that they were implementing a blockade against Saudi ships. They have since claimed to have been behind a number of strikes on Saudi tankers.
Earlier today, Esmail Baghaei, Tehran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, said that Iran was not reviving talks with the US – despite what Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday.
However, Iran is continuing talks with Oman over the strait of Hormuz.
The Guardian’s Patrick Wintour has the full story here:
Crude oil prices fell sharply and European stock markets rallied on Monday after Donald Trump cancelled planned strikes on Iran to focus on negotiations for a peace deal.
Brent crude was trading 5% lower at $83.50 a barrel by mid-morning, after falling as low as $81.55 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate dropped more than $5 to $79.47 a barrel.
Both global oil benchmarks jumped more than 20% in July after fighting between the US and Iran resumed, and as attacks on several tankers in the strait of Hormuz revived fears for the safety of vessels transiting the important shipping passage.
Michel Issa, the US ambassador to Lebanon, said on Monday that he was “encouraged” that the US-brokered peace talks between Israel and Lebanon are ongoing in Rome.
“A great deal of technical work remains to ensure civilian safety on the ground. There is a meaningful difference between drafting an agreement on paper and implementing it responsibly — moving too quickly risks jeopardizing the very civilians this process is meant to protect,” Issa said in a statement.
The ambassador continued: “We believe it is better to take the time needed to get this right the first time. Doing so will allow subsequent pilot zones to move forward more efficiently. Above all, both sides must agree on a clear, workable process before proceeding.”
Report: US military crowdsourcing tactics to 'punish Iran'
CNN reports that an officer in the intelligence branch of the US Central Command sent a message to a broad group of military analysts “looking for new creative and unconventional ways to pressure and punish Iran”.
The email went out on Wednesday, before Donald Trump threatened to launch new strikes against Iran and then backed down after speaking on the phone to the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Iran executes two people, accusing them of spying for Israel
Iranian state media is reporting that Iran executed two people on Monday on charges of espionage and cooperation with Israel, according to Reuters.
Omid Behzad and Pouria Safvat were accused of sending Israel the coordinates of military and security sites in addition to images and information in the latest conflict that began 28 February as well as during the brief war last summer, judiciary news outlet Mizan reported.
A source briefed on Israel’s military strategy told Reuters in March that Israel targeted checkpoints manned by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the current conflict based on intelligence from informants on the ground.
Iran has executed at least 50 p[eople in the past four months on vague national security charges, including several 18- and 19-year-olds, Human Rights Watch reported last month. In January, Iranian authorities quelled a period of nationwide unrest by killing thousands of protesters.
Report: IDF dropped phosphorus bombs in southern Lebanon
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reports that Israeli forces dropped phosphorus shells overnight in the towns of Yaroun and Haroun and the city of Bint Jbeil, sparking fires in olive and pine groves.
International humanitarian law currently restricts the usage of white phosphorus, given its incendiary nature, according to Amnesty International. Though it can be used lawfully, it must never be fired at, or in close proximity to, a populated civilian area or civilian infrastructure.
The IDF did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In addition to the phosphorus shells, Israeli forces also conducted an airstrike just after 1 a.m. local time Monday on the outskirts of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, according to the National News agency.
An Israeli drone also dropped a sound bomb on Bouyout al-Sayyad, the news agency reported.
Two tankers with Saudi oil exit Red Sea over the weekend
Two tankers laden with Saudi oil crossed the Bab el-Mandeb strait over the weekend, data collected by Reuters showed on Monday, despite the maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia declared by the Iran-aligned Houthis at the end of last month.
Kpler data showed that 18 commodity vessels total passed the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Sunday, down from the 27 that passed on Saturday and the 28 on Friday.
Two tankers – the Suezmax tanker Lesvos, carrying 1 million barrels of Saudi crude. and Very Large Crude Carrier Desh Vaibhav, 1 million barrels of Saudi crude – exited the Red Sea with their automatic identification systems (AIS) transponders switched off, the data showed.
The Houthis of Yemen, who control the capital Sana’a and much of its Red Sea coastline, announced on 20 July that they were implementing a blockade against Saudi ships, opening a new front against the US and its allies in the war on Iran. They have since claimed to have been behind a number of strikes on Saudi tankers.
Iran foreign ministry says there are no talks with the US
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Middle East.
Esmaeil Baghaei, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, told reporters at a weekly press briefing on Monday that Iran is not currently holding any talks with the US, Reuters reports – contradicting claims made by Donald Trump on Sunday night that talks with Iran would happen the next day.
Baghaei said that there were no plans to receive a delegation or send an Iranian one, and that Iran’s current focus was on negotiations with Oman over the strait of Hormuz.
“We are now going to reach an understanding on a route acceptable to both sides – neither the northern route nor the southern route – but one that respects the sovereign rights of both sides and safeguards our national interests and security,” he said in an interview with Iranian state television.
On Sunday, Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he decided to hold off on ordering American forces to carry out new strikes against Iran at the urging of Gulf allies Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, including a phone call with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“I said to the crown prince, ‘What would you rather do? Would you rather us do this or not?’” Trump said. “They said we would much prefer a deal as opposed to an attack, because you don’t know where these attacks lead.”
