Trump to Iran: “Deal or total surrender”. The ‘mystery’ of the talks

From his Oval Office, the American president defined the current moment as a decisive moment to reach an agreement, maintaining that talks are ongoing and that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz could arrive quickly. “Talks with Iran are going on right now. It’s an incredible thing,” he said, denying rumors that diplomatic discussions were at a standstill. “This time they don’t deny it – he added – But for some reason, when they talk, the Iranians don’t like to say that they are talking.” “This is the last chance for them to sign a good document

“he added. The American president then pointed

the Strait of Hormuz as one of the main dossiers on the table

. “We’re talking about fully opening the Strait of Hormuz by tomorrow,” he said from the Oval Office, explaining that “talks will proceed quickly, one way or the other. It’s not a very complex issue.”
Trump then specified that, after the issue of navigation in the Strait, the discussion will also concern the Iranian nuclear program: “Then we will talk about Iran’s nuclear capacity”, he clarified.

Tehran will have to choose between “agreement or total surrender”, Trump said in a post on Truth Social, the day after the announcement of a resumption of talks with Tehran, denied by the other side. “Nothing comes to Iran unless we want it to, and nothing will come unless an agreement or total surrender is reached – we read in the post – Whether Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking about a solution to a problem that they themselves have caused, for decades.”

Previously the American president had

The statements come after, on board Air Force One, Trump had announced the start of new negotiations starting today, Monday 3 August, claiming to have suspended an attack against the Islamic Republic, planned together with Israel, to facilitate a diplomatic solution. “Naturally they don’t want to be attacked. They knew the extent of that attack because they saw it take shape… What we are doing now is talking to them through negotiation. It starts tomorrow afternoon (Monday, ed.),” the American president declared.

Trump also explained that both Iran and US allies in the region – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar – had asked to postpone the military operation.

“When the allies ask to cancel the operation, you have to say: ‘Well, let’s see’. And the reason why they ask is that they think an agreement is possible,” he said, adding that “there is an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz and then there will be one on the nuclear, or rather on the denuclearization of Iran.” Trump ultimately claimed that the military plan would represent “the largest attack since World War II.”

The White House version, however, has been debunked by US officials, who told CBS that no new negotiations are planned between Washington and Tehran. However, the contacts already underway between the special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, the American negotiating team and Iranian representatives, through the mediation of third countries, remain open.

Tehran has also ruled out direct talks with the United States. “To avoid any misunderstanding, it is important to clarify what the current negotiations are about and with whom they are taking place. At the moment we are not negotiating with the United States – declared the spokesperson of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Esmaeil Baghaei – Our negotiations with Oman are focused on reaching an agreement that guarantees the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz”.

Baghaei added that the agreement with Oman on navigation is not equivalent to the reopening of the Strait and that, as long as what Tehran defines American “aggression” continues, the situation will remain unchanged.

Oil drops more than 4% in Asia after announcement

Meanwhile, Trump’s announcement had immediate repercussions on energy markets. In Asian trading, Brent fell by 4.69% to 83.81 dollars a barrel, while WTI lost 4.67%, settling at 80.72 dollars.

Explosion near oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz, no casualties

Furthermore, during the night, an explosion was reported near an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. The British maritime safety agency Ukmto reported that no casualties were reported. “The crew reported hearing an explosion in the immediate vicinity of the ship. The ship and crew are all safe”, the agency reported, specifying that the accident occurred approximately 20 nautical miles north-east of the Omani city of Khasab, without indicating the causes.