U.S. President Donald Trump said on August 3 that Trump Iran talks are currently underway and could move quickly “one way or the other,” with discussions on fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz potentially beginning as early as tomorrow. Speaking at the White House, Trump said negotiations would proceed in two phases, starting with the reopening of the strategic waterway and then moving to Iran’s nuclear program, which he described as “not very complex.”
Trump said the discussions are taking place at the request of Iran and are being supported by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and other regional countries. He called the negotiations Tehran’s “last chance” to sign what he described as a good agreement and said Washington had previously been prepared to launch a major strike before Iran and Gulf states sought talks.
Trump Iran Talks Focus on Hormuz and Nuclear Program
During his remarks, Trump rejected reports that negotiations had been canceled and insisted that talks are continuing despite Iran’s public denials. According to Trump, Iran privately wants discussions while publicly claiming that no negotiations with Washington are taking place. He accused Iran’s leadership of being “incredibly two-faced” and “duplicitous.”
Trump said Iran continues to insist that it is dealing only with Oman, even as additional discussions are allegedly planned in the near future. He reiterated that the next stage of negotiations would center on Iran’s nuclear activities and again declared that “Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”
The U.S. president also addressed the future of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Asked whether Iran would restore full freedom of navigation, Trump said he would not allow Tehran to charge vessels for passage.
“This must be free navigation; I will not let them charge. If anyone were to charge, it would be us — we are the ones in full control,” Trump said. He added, “We have something called a blockade. We are not discussing charging; there will be no charging.”
Trump separately said that the United States has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz and claimed that nothing enters Iran without American approval, referring to what he called a U.S. “Wall of Steel.” He also said that any restrictions would remain in place until an agreement or “total surrender” is reached.
Beyond Iran, Trump criticized European energy policies and immigration. He described the United Kingdom as a “bankrupt country” and argued that it could become wealthy again by increasing North Sea oil production and lowering energy costs. He also said Europe faces major immigration challenges and expressed confidence that he would have a good relationship with Andy Burnham.
Trump additionally criticized renewable energy, saying countries dependent on wind turbines are at a disadvantage. He turned his attention to major oil companies, arguing that energy firms have earned excessive profits following the rise in crude prices during the Iran conflict.
Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump said Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) and Chevron (CVX.N) “made too much money” after oil prices increased during the war with Iran. He said both companies benefited from supply shortages and urged them to return part of their gains to the public by lowering retail prices.
Chevron reported that its second-quarter profit rose nearly 400% year over year to $12.0 billion, compared with $2.5 billion a year earlier. Exxon Mobil said its profit more than doubled to $14.5 billion from $7.1 billion during the same period. Both companies released their second-quarter results last Friday.
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported that after months of almost daily comments from Trump, ranging from threats of large-scale bombing to statements about renewed negotiations, many Iranians have stopped closely following his remarks. According to the report, a financial-sector employee in Tehran said Trump’s comments affect daily life but that he tries to focus on protecting his loved ones and controlling what he can amid ongoing uncertainty.
Al Jazeera added that as the conflict approaches its six-month mark, public expectations and fears in Iran are noticeably lower than they were on April 7, when Trump warned that “the whole civilization will perish” before later announcing a halt to hostilities.
