US President Donald Trump has said an agreement with Iran is imminent, as serious negotiations are taking place on Monday. In response, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged the US to “remain committed” to the memorandum of understanding signed between the two sides in June.
He said the interim peace deal “will be the centre of gravity” of Tehran’s foreign relations in the future.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi added that the upcoming negotiations between Tehran and Oman and the management of the Strait of Hormuz are in their “final stages”.
US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth repeated Trump’s claim that the Pentagon was ready to attack Iran at “levels not seen since World War 2”.
In a post on X, he said the Pentagon “remains ready”, that is, “locked and loaded”.
Trump told reporters on Air Force One that the deal on the Strait of Hormuz and the denuclearisation of Iran will be the centre of attention in the upcoming talks.
He earlier called off what White House sources described as serious strikes to pave the way for the negotiations with Iran.
Trump said he called off major attacks he had planned against Iran on Friday at the request of “the three primary groups” – Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar – who urged him to hold off and pursue a deal instead.
Earlier, US CENTCOM carried out 13 rounds of airstrikes on Iranian military, commercial and civilian infrastructure to pressure Iran over the Strait of Hormuz.
The critical waterway handles nearly 20 per cent of global trade, including oil and energy.
Also read: Trump pauses Iran strikes for a rapid deal on Strait of Hormuz
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