Talks with Iran are continuing “at a rapid pace”, Donald Trump has said, having earlier cast doubt over the negotiations and following fresh exchanges of fire between the two sides.
A proposed deal to extend the fragile ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and hold talks on Tehran’s disputed nuclear plans appeared to have been left in limbo after the US president said he was looking to make a “final determination” on Friday.
In interviews on Monday, Mr Trump also appeared to play down the prospect of an agreement, telling broadcasters he “couldn’t care less” if discussions with Iran were over and felt they had been “talking too much”.
But later, Mr Trump posted on his Truth Social platform: “Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
He also told ABC News that he thought there will be a deal with Tehran to extend the ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz “over the next week”.
It came after Mr Trump said he had secured a pledge from the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah not to attack Israel. He also spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who Mr Trump said had agreed his forces would not push deeper into Lebanon. The offensive was seen as a key stumbling block to Iran agreeing an interim settlement.
However, Mr Netanyahu said the Israeli military would continue “to operate as planned” in southern Lebanon.
The truce in the three-month-long war between the US and Iran remains shaky after both traded strikes. The US military said it bombed radar and drone sites in Iran on Monday after Tehran shot down an American drone over the weekend. Meanwhile, Iran said it targeted American troops in Kuwait with missiles, which the US says it shot down.
A main flashpoint in the conflict has been the Strait of Hormuz, a vital supply route for oil and gas, which was open to shipping prior to the US and Israeli offensive against Tehran. Iran’s stranglehold on the Gulf channel has shocked economies around the world, including the UK’s, and has meant a spike in petrol prices. It has led the US to impose its own blockade resulting in an ongoing stand-off and leaving around 1,500 cargo vessels stranded.
The region remains dangerous for shipping, with a cargo vessel struck by two explosions off the southeast of Iraq in the latest incident, one of which was caused by a drone attack, according to the authorities. A fire aboard the vessel was later brought under control, they added.
