United States President Donald Trump announced on Sunday, August 2nd, 2026, that new negotiations with Iran were set to begin on Monday, August 3rd, after he called off what he described as “massive strikes” on the country. Speaking to reporters while returning to Washington, DC, from New Jersey, Trump said, “Would I rather make a deal? I’m not looking to kill people because people die, a lot of people die, and we don’t want that.”

However, at a news conference on Monday, an Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, stated, “We are not going to host a delegation or be guests of a country during these days.” It was unclear if this statement referred only to direct talks, leaving open the possibility of indirect negotiations via mediators.

Reporting from Doha, Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid said that just before Trump’s announcement, an unnamed source indicated mediators were prepared to fly to Tehran for an indirect negotiation session.

Iran’s state media reported on Sunday that Araghchi, an Iranian official, had spoken by phone with Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Pakistan’s military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, to discuss diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis.

Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, commented that while a deal regarding the Strait of Hormuz might be achievable, a comprehensive peace agreement on Iran’s nuclear program and other issues remains elusive.

The announcement also impacted oil markets, with Brent crude futures dropping $4.08, or 4.64 percent, to $83.85 per barrel late Sunday, and West Texas Intermediate crude falling $4.01, or 4.74 percent, to $80.66 per barrel, according to Reuters.

Sources