Trump Announces Start of US-Iran Negotiations Today

US President Donald Trump has announced that Washington and Tehran will begin new negotiations on Monday aimed at establishing peace in the Middle East. According to him, the main topics of discussion will be navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the denuclearization of Iran's nuclear program.

Trump told reporters that he preferred to temporarily refrain from new strikes against Iran to give the negotiations a chance. He also insisted that both Iran and the US regional partners—Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar—had approached him with a request to avoid strikes. However, Iranian media have denied that Tehran made such a request.

At the same time, Iran has announced that it is close to an agreement with Oman regarding a new maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghaei stated that a route is being discussed that would respect the sovereign rights of both countries and ensure Iran's national interests and security. However, he emphasized that this does not mean a full restoration of navigation in the Strait.

The Strait of Hormuz remains a major point of disagreement between the US and Iran. Before the war, ships passed freely through the strait, but during the conflict, Iran has restricted traffic and demands to maintain control and charge transit fees, which Washington opposes.

Hasan Ghashghavi, a representative of Iran's parliamentary national security committee, stated that mediators are attempting to revive the US-Iran understanding memorandum agreed upon in June, which could serve as the basis for a broader peace agreement.

Following news of the negotiations, global oil prices have seen a decline. The price of US West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell by 4.7% at the start of Asian trading, reaching $80.72 per barrel.