Tehran says it is close to an agreement with Oman to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to maritime transport
Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran would resume on Monday after calling off large-scale military strikes, sending oil prices sharply lower amid hopes for a de-escalation of the conflict, according to the Financial Times.
The US president said on Sunday that the United States had been prepared to launch "the largest attack since World War II" on Saturday, but had decided to back down at the request of US allies.
"Everything was ready, but when the allies ask you to cancel it, you have to say: well, we'll see," Trump told reporters.
He said that US partners in the Persian Gulf believed it was possible to reach an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and convince Iran to back off on its nuclear program.
Trump added that he had spoken with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, and that Riyadh believed a deal was close, both on the Strait of Hormuz and on Iran's nuclear disarmament.
However, on Monday morning, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated that Tehran was not currently involved in negotiations with the United States and that it was focused on talks with Oman to define a "temporary" corridor that would allow the resumption of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
"At the moment, we have no negotiations with the US. Our talks with Oman are focused on reaching an understanding on a route that would enable the safe passage of ships and the resumption of transportation in the Strait of Hormuz," Baghaei said.
The US president's repeated threats of attacks had revived fears in the region of an all-out conflict, at a time when traffic in this vital maritime corridor, which before the war processed a fifth of the world's oil, has been reduced to a minimum.
However, signals of progress in the talks lowered oil prices, after their strong rise in July.
The price of Brent oil, the international market reference, fell by 5%, to $83.53 per barrel, at the start of the trading week in Asian markets.
Earlier on Sunday, Iranian diplomats said Tehran was close to a new agreement with Oman to manage maritime transport through the Strait of Hormuz, an agreement considered essential to prevent the escalation of war between the US and Iran./ Monitor