US President Donald Trump said Trump Iran negotiations will begin on Monday after he decided to delay what he described as a massive military strike against Iran in favor of pursuing a diplomatic agreement. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said discussions would start on Monday afternoon and could help prevent further loss of life.
“Now what we’re doing is we’re talking to them in the form of a negotiation. It begins tomorrow afternoon,” Trump said, without providing details about the location of the talks or the participants involved. He added that Iran did not want to face further military action and had seen preparations for the planned strike.
Trump said he had been urged by Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to suspend the planned operation. According to the US president, regional allies believed that an agreement was within reach and asked Washington to give diplomacy a chance.
Trump Iran Negotiations Focus on Hormuz and Nuclear Deal
Trump said there was a possible agreement involving the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program. “There’s a deal on Hormuz, and then there will be a deal on the nuclear, or you might call it the denuclearization of Iran,” he told reporters.
The president explained that he paused the planned attack after discussions with regional partners. “When the allies asked to call it off, you’ve got to sort say, ‘Well, let’s see.’ And the reason they ask is they think there’s a deal,” Trump said.
Trump also said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman preferred negotiations over military action. According to Trump, he asked the Saudi leader what course of action he supported, and the crown prince responded that Saudi Arabia would rather see a diplomatic settlement than an attack.
The US president repeatedly described the canceled military operation as extremely large in scale. “It was going to be a massive attack,” Trump said. He added that it would have been “the biggest attack since World War II” and claimed that rebuilding the targeted facilities could have taken many years.
Trump said neighboring countries had expressed concerns about the broader consequences of military escalation. Referring to regional stability, he said that large-scale conflict could trigger humanitarian and security problems across the Middle East.
“You don’t know where these attacks lead,” Trump said. “Will the neighbors of Iran be flooded with people pouring into their countries? A disaster. A lot of bad things can happen.”
Asked whether Iran faced a deadline to reach an agreement, Trump said, “We will see. I am not looking to kill people.” He repeated that he preferred negotiations, adding that military action would lead to significant casualties.
“There is a group of people who would love me to do it—just do it—and there is another group of people that does not want me to do it,” Trump said when asked about bombing Iran.
Trump also declined to comment on reports that the United States was moving troops out of Kuwait and Bahrain. “I don’t want to comment on that,” he said.
The conflict began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched surprise strikes against Iran. Since then, periods of military confrontation have alternated with diplomatic efforts. Months of talks have produced temporary calm at various points, although fighting resumed in recent weeks.
A previous ceasefire arrangement that included reopening the Strait of Hormuz ultimately collapsed. Following the breakdown of that agreement, Iran tightened its control over the strategic waterway while exchanges of attacks between the two sides continued.
Despite the renewed tensions, Trump said Trump Iran negotiations offered a possible path forward. “I’d rather make a deal. I’m not looking to kill people. People die. A lot of people die. We don’t want that,” he said.
