On August 2 local time, U.S. President Trump stated that negotiations with Iran will begin on August 3 local time.
According to foreign media such as CNN and Al Jazeera, on August 2 local time, Trump said to the media while traveling in "Air Force One": "They know the scale of this attack, because they have seen it unfold. What we are doing now is to talk to them through negotiations, starting tomorrow (August 3rd) afternoon."
He did not disclose any details about the location or participants of the talks.
Trump said that Iran’s allies, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, asked him to cancel this planned attack. “When allies ask for cancellation, you have to say ‘Okay, let me see’. The reason they asked for cancellation is that they believe there will be an agreement. There is an agreement regarding the Strait of Hormuz, and then there will be agreements regarding nuclear issues. Or you could say that Iran’s denuclearization is possible.”
He said that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also urged against launching attacks and warned of possible unintended consequences. “I mean, could they be overwhelmed by the crowd flooding into their country and cause disaster? Many bad things could happen.”
It is reported that Ben Salman spoke with Trump on August 1, urging the US to refrain from further escalating military actions against Iran.
Previously, it was reported that the United States and Israel are considering launching a new round of large-scale attacks against Iran, with potential targets including power plants, refineries, and other energy infrastructure facilities.
On the evening of August 1st, Trump posted on social media that Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had requested the United States to delay launching attacks, stating that all parties had reached an agreement regarding the framework of the deal. Based on this request, he agreed to cancel the attacks, provided that all parties can reach an agreement quickly.
The Iranian side denied that it had sent any such “requests” to the United States. On the 2nd, Iran’s Maher News Agency reported, quoting Iranian military officials, that Trump called Iran’s request to stop the attacks “a new lie” and “a desperate attempt to pressure the Gulf states”. The official stated that the Iranian armed forces remained at the highest level of combat readiness, prepared for any possible situation.
