Trump says U.S. halted attacks at Iran’s request
July 27 (UPI) — President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States paused attacks on Iran at Iranian leaders’ request but said he would order “strong military action” if negotiations fail.
However, there were mixed messages on what those talks entailed Monday. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said there were no new negotiations with the United States, CNN reported, though there are discussions with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States halted attacks on Iran three days ago after 13 consecutive days of nightly bombing.
“We are in very deep talks with Iran,” Trump told Axios during an interview Monday. “If they don’t work out, we will go back to very strong military action.”
The president said in that interview that he isn’t willing to give much time to diplomacy, and that “either it goes fast or not at all.”
The Guardian reported that Trump later told reporters on Air Force One that, “They want to meet, and we’re meeting. Without what we did, they wouldn’t even be talking to us. … They would not have requested the meeting if we were doing poorly. The only reason they want to meet is because we’ve been hitting them very hard.”
Later yet, at a rally in Michigan, Trump said there are “very friendly negotiations” going on.
Oman’s Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi held calls with his counterparts from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Egypt in a diplomatic push.
Al-Busaidi said in a statement that the talks between Iran and Oman “focused on ways to enhance the prospects for reaching practical, fair and sustainable arrangement for maritime navigation … throughthe Strait of Hormuz,” Axios reported.
Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said Tehran “would never allow the United States to determine the timing of war and peace.”
“Mediators may convey messages from the American side to us regarding current developments in the region,” he said, the Guardian reported. “But at present we are not engaged in any negotiations with the United States.”
Baghaei said the talks with Oman were “useful and constructive” but that they have nothing to do with the United States.